Apart
by AquaTurquoise
Summary: When Cedric has to attend a Royal Sorcery Seminar without Sofia and Nana, the girls must find ways to make the week go faster until he gets back home. Meanwhile, Cedric learns more about the Never Realm's uprising... (Plot and cover photo by MarionetteJ2X)
1. The Royal Sorcerer Seminar

Apart

Summary: When Cedric has to attend a Royal Sorcery Seminar without Sofia and Nana, the girls must find ways to make the week go faster until he gets back home. Meanwhile, Cedric learns more about the Never Realm's uprising... (Plot and cover photo by MarionetteJ2X)

Disclaimer: I own nothing except the Never Realm and a few OCs mentioned here like Sir Finlay and Dante. Nana belongs to MarionetteJ2X. 😊

A/N: All right, everyone! This story leads us into our epic story coming up next (and by "epic," I mean that I've quite literally brought in as many important characters—both canon and OC—as I could before "Heartsong" premiers in December. :D). And I can now tell you the title of that story: "Malum In Se" (which is Latin for "Evil in Itself"). Just you wait. 😉 You have no idea what you're in for. Meanwhile, here's a sweet little piece of fluff for you before the big battle arrives. :D Y'all need fluff as much as these dorks do, so here you go! 😊

* * *

Chapter 1: The Royal Sorcerer Seminar

* * *

"Sofia, would you hold still?" Amber asked in annoyance as she tried to tighten the other princess's straps into place. "The sooner you let me finish this, the sooner you can get back to Cedric and Nana—who just _can't_ make it without you for twenty minutes." She smiled sarcastically at her sister's reflection in her full-length mirror, snickering as Sofia rolled her eyes.

"It's not just that, Amber," the younger teen argued. "We've got a lot of things to do, and Mr. Cedric told me that he had something important to show me."

"Nothing is more important right now than making sure your bridesmaid dress fits." She finished her adjustments before walking in front of the other girl, smiling and folding her arms, nodding in satisfaction. "I love it. Mom did a great job on these…"

Sofia was now wearing a knee-length white dress with a pink ruffled under layer peeking out the bottom. The dress had one strap that spanned around her left shoulder, and along the top and strap were tiny pink flowers sewn into the fabric. Around her waist in an intricate fashion was a magenta ribbon that had been tied to her right side, dangling just past her hip. Her sandals were flat with white ribbons that tied up her calf. As of right now, there were no other accessories on her, save for her usual ones: her amulet, her GuardoRing, her Enchantlet, and her E.S. Bracelet. "Wow," she breathed as she looked at her reflection. "I look…"

"Beautiful," Amber finished for her, smiling and walking behind her sister, placing her hands on her shoulders.

Sofia laughed. "Thanks, Amber."

"And for the wedding day, I want you to braid your hair. I have a matching bow that will go with the dress. And there will be some yellow flowers around your wrists and just up here." She pointed to the top of Sofia's head near her swooping bangs.

"Okay, sure. But just one question…" She turned around, smirking at Amber. "You realize you're getting married on Wassailia, right? It's kind of going to be cold… It's early December now; it's _already _cold."

"I've talked to Cordelia, and she said she's going to handle the temperature. We're getting married inside, after all, so it's not like we're going to be trudging through snow or anything." She suddenly looked very far away with a dreamy smile on her face. "Although… That would be nice too…"

Sofia rolled her eyes and snapped her fingers a few times, getting the other princess to come back to her senses. "Focus, Amber. Are we finished?"

"Yes," the future queen responded with a laugh. "I know you want to get out of here. Oh, if you see Calista, tell her Mom has her dress ready too. Did you get to ask Sir Finlay and Gabriella if they'll let Sapphire be in the wedding?"

She nodded. "Yes. They said they'll be here."

"Great! Oh, and one more thing…" Amber smiled mischievously before walking over to her bed and lifting the lid off a box, withdrawing a tiny dress that matched Sofia's, except with two short sleeves. She walked back over to her sister and held up the dress. "For Nana."

Sofia gasped. "Oh, my—that is the _cutest _thing I have ever seen!" She took the dress from her sister and cuddled it momentarily before smiling. "Thank you, Amber, for letting her be in your wedding. It will mean a lot to Nana. It means a lot to _me_."

"She's part of our family now, Sofia." Amber winked and nudged her, taking the dress back. "She deserves to be a part of my wedding." She laughed softly as Sofia hugged her, thanking her again. "You're welcome, Sofia."

* * *

Cedric glanced up from peering over some documents and smiled as Sofia walked into the workshop. He raised an eyebrow in curiosity as he noticed that she looked a bit disheveled for some reason. "Did you _run_ here or something?"

"N-No," she responded, closing the door behind her and leaning against it, releasing a slow breath. "I just…walked fast." She glared at her partner as he smirked at her. "Amber had me try on my bridesmaid dress, all right? I was scared if I lingered too long, she'd actually make me put on the entire outfit—accessories and all."

"Oh, really?" He sat up and folded his arms. "And, um… How does it look?"

She grinned as she composed herself, walking over to sit across from him. "It's very white…and wedding-y. I look like a walking pastry in it."

At that comment, the sorcerer couldn't help chuckling. "I'm sure you look beautiful in it."

The princess blushed modestly. "Thanks… Amber said I did, so I guess that's two compliments today." She laughed before looking around. "Where's Nana?"

Cedric pointed toward a large red pillow at the base of his staircase leading up to the top window, upon which Nana was lying and was covered with a heavy purple blanket. "She seemed a bit tired, so I put her down for a nap."

"Aww. She's too cute." Sofia giggled.

"You think _that's_ cute?" He stood up and grasped her hand with one hand, placing his finger to his lips with the other hand. "Shh." He carefully led her over to the sleeping girl and gently pulled back the blanket, revealing a sleeping Wormwood as well, tiny snores seeping through his beak every now and again.

"Oh, my gosh…" Sofia snickered as she leaned against him. "He did that on his own?"

"And he tries to act indifferent to her." He gestured vaguely toward the sleeping duo. "The proof is on the pillow, so to speak."

"Looks like it. Oh, you said you had something to show me?" Before he could even respond, there was a knock on his door, so she smiled at him and released his hand. "I'll get it." She walked over and opened the door, blinking at Baileywick standing before them, a solemn look on his face. "Baileywick? What's wrong?"

The steward sighed and turned instantly toward Cedric. "King Roland would like to speak with you, Cedric…"

"Nothing good ever begins with those words," Cedric remarked as he moved toward his door. "Whatever about?"

"I'm not at liberty to say. But he did request to speak with you alone."

Sofia gaped at him. "Alone?" She frowned, placing her hands on her hips. "What's this all about, Baileywick? Mr. Cedric and I are partners. We share everything."

Baileywick smiled apologetically toward the princess. "Not everything, I'm afraid, Princess Sofia…" He looked toward Cedric. "Come on, Cedric. He's waiting for you." He turned and began descending the stairs of the tower.

Cedric cast an apologetic look toward his baffled partner before leaving the workshop, closing the door behind him.

Sofia sighed heavily, wrapping her arms around herself. What could be going on that her father didn't even want her to be a part of it? She didn't have a good feeling about this…

* * *

Roland glanced up from his paperwork as Cedric entered the throne room. No one else was even in there, except for Baileywick, who'd simply ushered Cedric inside before leaving. "Close the door, Cedric."

Cedric gulped nervously before doing as he was told. He wasn't quite sure what was going on. Had he done or said something to make the king angry? Did he need advice that no one else could offer and he wanted it to be kept a secret? (Yeah, that one seemed a bit far-fetched, but anything seemed possible these days…) He carefully approached the king before bowing respectfully. "How may I help you, King Roland?" Even though they were technically friends now, he knew when things were friend-related and business-related, and this one seemed somewhere even beyond business.

"I've noticed you and Sofia talking quite a bit lately about the Never Realm." Seeing the sorcerer nod, he placed his paperwork aside before sighing. "I've recently received a message—a summons, more like—about all royal sorcerers being required to attend a conference on the Never Realm. That includes you, Cedric."

He nodded. "Yes, sire. I was unaware of this summons until now."

"So was I." He looked over the side of his throne before withdrawing an envelope, handing it to his friend, who accepted it. "You're to leave tomorrow. It will be a week-long seminar. Apparently, they're going to cover some critical insight into this whole Never Realm thing."

"I'm afraid it's far more urgent than this letter makes it sound, King Roland." Cedric glanced up after he'd finished reading over the summons. "The Never Realm has been rising for quite some time now. As you know, Nana came from one of the cults based there. While her connection to them has been destroyed, along with the cult itself, she still has base ties to the realm. That's why Merlin wanted her to stay with us: so that she would be safe."

"I understand. And don't worry. I'm perfectly fine with the little girl staying here." He smiled thoughtfully for a moment. "Especially since she and Corban seem to have found a friendship with each other."

"Hmm, yes…" Cedric chuckled.

"Not to mention, what it's done for you and Sofia."

The sorcerer blinked, surprised by the other man's words. "W-What do you mean, King Roland?"

Roland smiled. "I didn't think it was possible to bring the two of you closer together, but she's managed that somehow. She's brought out a maturity in Sofia that I wasn't expecting to see for a long time (not that she wasn't already rather mature, of course). And she's brought out a more content and happier side to you as well." He chuckled as Cedric absently fiddled with the letter, shoving it back into the envelope. "She just seems to make _everyone_ happier. And I'm glad for that."

Cedric smiled before nodding. "She has. I wasn't sure about being one of her guardians, of course, because… Well, children aren't necessarily always my forte. But having Sofia's help, as well as the rest of you helping, has really been great. So, in a way, I suppose I should be thanking you as well, King Roland."

The king laughed. "You're welcome, then. Oh, speaking of Sofia and Nana… You realize they won't be able to go with you."

He sighed. "I noticed. I dread telling them…"

"I can just hear that guilt-trip now: 'But Mr. Cedric, we do everything together! You could just sneak us into the meeting, right?'" Roland suddenly broke character with his 'Sofia impersonation' before giving his friend a pointed look and saying, "Don't do that, by the way."

Cedric laughed. "Hadn't planned on it, Your Majesty…" He then tucked the letter into his robe. "I suppose I should tell them now, though, because the longer I wait, the more upset they'll be."

Roland just smiled. "It's good to be missed when you're gone, though, isn't it? At least you know how much you mean to them."

He was a bit surprised by the insightful comment, but still he smiled and nodded. "I agree completely, King Roland."

* * *

"_A week?!_"

Cedric rubbed his ears before giving his partner a sympathetic smile. "I'm sorry, Sofia…"

Sofia, who was holding onto Nana (who looked just as astounded as her guardian at the news), frowned in dismay. "But…a week? A week is such a long time."

"Sofia, you went a week here and there without seeing me in the past. Why is now so different?"

"Because _we're_ different." She gestured between the two of them. "We're not the same people we used to be, and you know it." She then nodded toward Nana, whose lip was trembling a bit. "Not to mention, we're both Nana's guardians. She needs _both_ of us."

He smiled patiently. "I understand your disappointment, my dear, but it's only for a week." He chuckled as she shuffled toward him, loosely hugging him as Nana threw her arms around his neck. He gently patted each of their backs, caressing Sofia's hair in the process. "Besides, it will be over before you know it. And you'll have everyone here to help you with Nana and to keep you company."

Sofia sighed and looked up at her friend. "It's not the same, and you know it."

He gently tugged on her ponytail, causing her to laugh softly. "Tell you what. We'll spend the rest of the day together, doing whatever you and Nana want to do. How does that sound?"

The girls exchanged glances, and Nana frowned and nodded firmly, a determined look on her cute face.

Sofia smiled. "Sounds like a plan."

To be continued…

Next chapter: Aboard and Depart

(Note: You'll find out what Cedric wanted to show Sofia by the end of this story. 😉 I promise.)


	2. Aboard and Depart

Apart

Summary: When Cedric has to attend a Royal Sorcery Seminar without Sofia and Nana, the girls must find ways to make the week go faster until he gets back home. Meanwhile, Cedric learns more about the Never Realm's uprising... (Plot and cover photo by MarionetteJ2X)

Disclaimer: I own nothing except the Never Realm and a few OCs mentioned here like Sir Finlay and Dante. Nana belongs to MarionetteJ2X. 😊

A/N: Time for a little bonding time with Cedric before he heads out for a week. Poor Sofia and Nana. But don't worry. They'll find some ways to entertain themselves. 😉 Meanwhile, Cedric's going to have a LOT to absorb on this trip. In the meantime, I'm about to try my hardest to tug on your heartstrings. I mean…Sofia is. ;D

* * *

Chapter 2: Aboard and Depart

* * *

"Are you sure this was a good idea?" Sofia asked in mild concern as she held onto Nana. They were currently in a small boat on the water near the castle, and Cedric had rowed them out to the center of the water. "I mean, when you suggested a picnic, I thought it would be—oh, I don't know—on the ground in my garden or in your workshop…"

Cedric rolled his eyes as he released the oars, sighing tiredly after having rowed all that way. "Look, if you want time alone, the best place to do it is out here. We won't be interrupted like with people easily walking into the garden or my workshop. They'd either have to swim here or row another boat to get to us, and we're not exactly in shouting distance."

"We couldn't have taken a bigger boat though?" She laughed at her partner's annoyed face. "Just kidding, Mr. Cedric." She reached out and gently patted his hand. "Thanks for getting us away for a while." She sighed, retracting her hand and instead combing through Nana's hair. "Especially since we won't be able to see you for a while."

He chuckled. "You are so dramatic sometimes. It's only a week."

The princess frowned as she glanced up at him. "That's a long time!" She gestured down toward the little girl. "Think of Nana. In little kid years, a week is a _very _long time, you know."

Cedric sighed and reached forward, gathering the strawberry child into his arms, smiling warmly as her big green eyes gazed up at him curiously. "I know a week _seems_ like a long time, but it will be over before you know it. Do you believe me?"

Nana blinked before smiling and nodding happily.

"See, Sofia? Even Nana knows that it's not going to be so bad." He looked over toward his partner, who sighed and lowered her head. "Nana isn't the one who's going to miss me the most, I see."

"It's just…" She shrugged. "You said when we became partners, that we'd do everything together: magic, adventures, meetings, and now taking care of Nana…" She laughed softly. "I guess I'd just…gotten used to us being together all the time. I'm sorry if that sounds pathetic, but…" She glanced toward him sadly. "You're part of my life, Mr. Cedric. More than just a partner or a friend… You're family to me."

"Sofia…" Cedric sighed, smiling calmly at the princess. "You're making this a bit more difficult, you know." He glanced down at Nana, who was now reclining against his chest. "I'm sure you two will figure out a way to enjoy yourselves without me. Play some games. Go on adventures. Spend time with your brother and sister." He gently patted the little girl's back with one hand while reaching out to Sofia with his other, grasping her hand and making her blink. "Have fun. It's what you do best. You brought fun and happiness into my life. Now give some to Nana."

After releasing a heavy sigh, she finally smiled at him. "You're right. Just… I know it's just a conference and everything, but since it _is_ about the Never Realm, please be safe, okay?"

"Always, my dear." He chuckled as she nodded in satisfaction. "Now, then. Enough seriousness for a while." He released Sofia's hand before shifting Nana around, helping her sit up. "Who's ready for some delicious food?"

Nana excitedly clapped her hands together as her guardian produced his wand, creating a small table between them, filled with loads of different types of foods. She gasped in delight, her eyes wide and fascinated with the selection before her.

Sofia laughed. "You said the _real_ magic word: food." She began gathering different foods onto her plate as Cedric did the same for himself and Nana. "By the way, I had a question for you."

"Mm-hmm?" He noticed that Nana seemed a bit distracted, so he ran his finger through some icing on a small cupcake and gingerly tapped her nose, leaving some behind.

Nana giggled softly at his actions before mimicking him, trailing the icing along his nose and across his cheek. She grinned playfully as he eyed her with feigned annoyance.

Cedric glanced toward Sofia, who was laughing at their antics. "Never think you'll best Nana with icing, because you won't." He lifted a cloth napkin from the table and cleaned both of their faces before setting it down, smiling back toward his partner. "You were saying?"

"Oh! Right." She smiled. "Amber's wedding is in a few weeks."

"I'm aware." He chuckled as she shrugged.

"Well, I guess my question is… Are you going? Like, as a guest and not as just our royal sorcerer?"

He nodded. "I am. She invited me personally, and despite all the times we've both annoyed or held disdain for each other in the past, I'd like to think that Princess Amber and I have grown much closer over the years." He sighed thoughtfully. "She just reminds me _so_ much of her mother now, which is both amazing yet…somewhat overwhelming for me."

Sofia blinked. "Why?"

"Queen Lorelei, as you know, was a good friend of mine. When she died, I never believed anyone could come close to her: the personality, the looks, the voice… But your sister practically _is _her mother now, Sofia… I just wish you could have met her so that you could see what I see, because…it's rather startling, to be honest. I think even your father would say so, but I'm not sure if he sees things quite the same way."

"Yeah…" She smiled softly. "I think that's pretty neat, actually. I don't look _exactly_ like my mom, though I know I've got her eyes. Mom says I look a lot like my dad, actually. And honestly, that means a lot to me." She then laughed, trying to shake away the solemn feeling that had suddenly fallen over the meal. "Anyway! I'm glad you're going, and I was hoping…" She smiled shyly at him. "…You'd dance with me?"

"Again?" he asked, pretending to be annoyed, causing her to laugh harder. "Sofia, you _always_ ask me to dance." He smiled toward her. "And you know I always say yes."

"Sometimes begrudgingly," she reminded him, grinning as he rolled his eyes. "And you must also dance with Nana at some point."

"Of course." He winked at the little girl, who smiled up at him. "I wouldn't miss that opportunity for the world."

Nana beamed at him before returning to her food.

* * *

They ate and chatted all the while, and when they were finished, they remained on the water for a little while longer. If for no other reason, they enjoyed it for the pure serenity of it all. Before long, though, the sky began growing a bit darker, and they knew evening was right around the corner.

"I suppose it's time for us to head back," Cedric told the girls calmly, though he was a little disappointed it had ended so soon. It wouldn't be long before they'd all have to get some sleep, and then they'd be apart for a week. He told himself it wasn't that long (and it wasn't, really), but still… He'd miss them.

"Yeah," Sofia sighed as she now held Nana in her arms. She smiled at the sleeping girl. "It's probably for the best anyway. It _is_ getting close to her bedtime."

"I didn't even know she _had_ a bedtime." He laughed.

Sofia shook her head. "And that's why she usually stays with _me_ at night. Because if she was with you, the both of you would be experimenting with spells and potions until three in the morning."

"I only did that this past Tuesday, and it's because I had a breakthrough."

She smirked. "A likely excuse."

* * *

As evening fell, Cedric accompanied Sofia to her room to put Nana to bed. He kissed the little girl's forehead as she slept and was about to speak to Sofia when he suddenly found her hugging him. He sighed, wrapping his arms around his partner, gently rubbing her back. "Sofia…"

"You _promise_ me you'll be safe," she mumbled against his robe. "It's just a meeting, but it's a meeting about the Never Realm, and… Anything could happen."

He used one hand to tilt her chin up, and he smiled at her. "I promise you, I'll be safe." Hearing her sigh and seeing her close her eyes, he gently pressed a kiss to her own forehead. "Get some sleep, Sofia."

She hugged him once more before smiling up at him. "I will. You too, and we will see you off tomorrow before you leave."

He chuckled, nodding. "All right."

* * *

The next morning, Cedric had loaded up the AutoCoach with his luggage and work bags. After setting the coordinates, he turned back to his small audience: Sofia, Nana, Amber, and James. "I'm off then. I'll be back in a week." He smiled warmly as Sofia passed Nana over to him, and the child instantly wrapped her arms around his neck. He sighed and patted her back gently. "You be good and have fun, little one. And take care of Sofia for me, hmm?" He winked at her as she settled back and blinked up at him. "Can you handle that?"

Nana smiled and nodded.

"We'll take care of things here, Cedric," James promised. "I think Cordelia already said she'll help Sofia if she needs it. Plus, Calista and everyone else are still here."

"Of course," Amber added. "Just be safe and try to stay out of trouble at that meeting of yours."

Cedric laughed. "I'll try, Princess Amber." He smiled as Sofia walked over to him and hugged him. "Sofia…"

"Would it be selfish of me to wish for time to go faster?" she asked, laughing as she loosely grasped her amulet after releasing him.

"Don't worry, my dear. You'll have a great time this next week, and we will all be back together before you know it." He gently clasped her hands and told her quietly, "And when I return, I have something I still need to show you. It's rather important, so we will talk more about it when we get some time to ourselves."

Curious, Sofia nodded. "Okay."

After a few more words, Cedric clambered into the AutoCoach and set off for his destination.

"It's gonna be weird without Cedric around," James remarked with a short sigh. He grunted as Amber elbowed him, silently shushing him. "I mean… Everything's gonna be cool!" He grinned and wrapped an arm around his younger sister. "You'll see, Sofia. It's all gonna be fine."

Sofia sighed as she held Nana closer before finally returning her brother's smile. "I hope you're right, James." She glanced upward, watching the AutoCoach until it vanished from her sight. "I hope you're right…"

To be continued…

Next chapter: Day 1: Of Gardens and of Familiarity


	3. Day 1: Of Gardens and of Familiarity

Apart

Summary: When Cedric has to attend a Royal Sorcery Seminar without Sofia and Nana, the girls must find ways to make the week go faster until he gets back home. Meanwhile, Cedric learns more about the Never Realm's uprising... (Plot and cover photo by MarionetteJ2X)

Disclaimer: I own nothing except the Never Realm and a few OCs mentioned here like Sir Finlay and Dante. Nana belongs to MarionetteJ2X. 😊

A/N: All right, everyone! :D For the next several chapters, you'll see a sort of "split screen" thing going on, where you'll see what's going on with Sofia and Nana, and then what's going on with Cedric and company. You'll be able to see some familiar faces too. 😉 Meanwhile, the Wizard King in here is named after one of my all-time favorite characters from literature. When you see the name, you might recognize him. :D Note—the name may be the same, but these two characters are quite different.

* * *

Chapter 3: Day 1: Of Gardens and of Familiarity

* * *

_**Sofia & Nana**_

* * *

Sofia was back in her room with Nana, who was standing on the princess's bed in front of her guardian. Sofia sighed as she noticed the downtrodden look on the little girl's face. It was like someone had taken her best friend away. Well, in essence, it wasn't that far off… "Cheer up, Nana," she urged, smiling gently as she helped her little charge into a warm red coat.

Nana blinked up at Sofia, her bottom lip trembling a bit.

"Aww, come on now. You heard Mr. Cedric. He'll be back before you know it." She tied the bow on the coat before picking up a brush from her nightstand and gently brushing out the girl's vibrant pink hair. "There you go." She set the brush down before gathering Nana up into her arms. "Tell you what. Let's head to my secret garden. We can have a picnic there, just like we did yesterday on the boat."

Seemingly considering the princess's words, Nana finally smiled and nodded in agreement.

* * *

The garden was coated in a new blanket of fresh, fallen snow, and there were icicles dangling from the tree branches as well. Only newly-planted ice lilies were surviving in this cold weather, which surely would have thrilled Baileywick to pieces.

Sofia paused in her tracks once she and Nana had entered the garden, and she used her wand to create a table with two chairs (one a bit higher than the other). In the center of the table, she produced a variety of foods (similar to the ones from yesterday), along with a few goblets of water and juice.

She replaced her wand before easing Nana into the higher chair. She grabbed a plate and filled it with several things: fruits, cheeses, pastries, candies, and a plethora of other items. She placed the plate before Nana before pouring her a cup of juice and setting it next to her. "There you go. Is that enough, Nana?"

The little girl smiled brightly and nodded as she watched her guardian walk over to the seat across from her…so far away. Her smile instantly fell, and her bottom lip began trembling a bit.

Sofia blinked at the child's reaction before sighing and smiling. She stood up, picked up her chair, and carried it to the side of the table, where she sat down beside Nana instead of across from her. "How's this?"

Nana grinned and nodded.

"Eat up, my Strawbaby. We've got a long day ahead of us." She giggled as the little one began happily munching on her food, and as she gathered her own onto her plate, she couldn't help letting her mind drift. '_I wonder what Mr. Cedric is doing right now…_'

* * *

_**Cedric**_

* * *

Upon arriving at the seminar, which was in a central location known as the Magical Kingdom of Walonoso (run by the Wizard King Quixote and his wife Queen Kadina), Cedric was rather stunned. He hadn't been to this land since he was a child, traveling with his father just to see what the meetings were like. When he was a boy, things like this had been rather tedious and boring. Now that he was older… Well, often times, not much had changed, but considering this meeting concerned the Never Realm, that was another story entirely.

The land was still in the Ever Realm, but it was miles away from any other location. It was settled amid a bunch of mountainous landforms, with a grand cenote in the center of the land. The magical castle was built on an elevated mass of land, its green and gold exterior sparkling in both the sunlight and the moonlight. It was in this castle were the seminar would take place.

"I suppose this is it," Cedric murmured to himself as the AutoCoach landed outside the castle, among many other different coaches and carriages. Even upon stepping out of the coach, he was greeted with an onslaught of calls.

"Cedric!" "Cedric?" "Mr. Cedric, hey!"

Cedric hadn't heard his name so many times in quite a while: probably when Sofia was last trying to wake him up after he evidently kept yelling about "Greylock stealing his precious fly cakes" or something of that nature. Not that he'd put it past the other sorcerer, and not that he _wouldn't_ fight for his fly cakes, but still. The very idea was just silly. Anyway, he turned and blinked at the small crowd of people approaching him. "Finlay, Mrs. Gabriella…" He laughed as he looked toward the younger sorcerer next to Sir Finlay. "And Dante?"

Dante, the young sorcerer he and Sofia had met years ago, now stood a bit taller since he was twenty-four years old. His long dark hair was tied back in a sleek ponytail (as usual), and he still wore his blue-hued robe with intricate designs, and a pair of maroon pants beneath. His blue shoes matched his robe as well. He grinned toward the Enchancian sorcerer. "It's good to see you! Where is your princess?"

"Oh, Sofia… She couldn't come, since she's not a royal sorcerer… Sorceress, rather." He laughed.

Gabriella scoffed, rolling her eyes as she grabbed Sir Finlay's hand. "That didn't stop _me_ from coming. I dare these idiots to tell me I have to go back to Helvetica."

"Gabby, be nice," Sir Finlay urged his wife with a soft sigh. He smiled toward Cedric. "We were wondering when you would arrive, Cedric. I was asked to give you this." He reached into his vest pocket and retrieved a folded piece of parchment before passing it over to his friend. "Sapphire painted it for you, with a little help from Davina, of course."

Cedric unfolded the parchment, smiling in amusement at what he saw. Apparently, Sapphire had painted _him_: a heavy emphasis on his two-toned hair, his longer nose, and his yellow bowtie. Those were the things that stood out. Everything else was rather scribbled in, as one would likely expect from a child. Her name was signed in rough lettering at the bottom, beneath which lay a curious streak of two…finger prints? He blinked up at the Helvetian couple.

"Davina," Gabriella explained, pointing toward the finger prints. "She dipped her fingers in the paint out of curiosity, and before Sapphire could stop her, she'd made this lovely addition." She chuckled. "She's going to be adventurous."

"Oh, believe me," Cedric began, rolling his eyes as he recalled all the adventures Sofia had taken him on over the years, "it never gets any _less_ adventurous." He laughed. "Where are the girls? And Dante, I'm guessing Princess Issy stayed with Princess Seraphina?"

Dante nodded. "Yeah. You know she's four now?" He sighed dramatically, placing a hand to his heart. "She's so adorable too! She sang me a song the other day. …I have no idea what it was about; something about hedgehogs and raspberry tarts… But it was adorable." He laughed.

Sir Finlay chuckled at the younger sorcerer's recounting. "And Sapphire and Davina are staying with Arabella while we're gone. Luckily, Sapphire is very mature for her age, so she can be of great help to Arabella."

Cedric nodded before seeing Gabriella staring at him curiously. "What is it, Mrs. Gabriella?"

She shrugged. "Well, a few things. First, I can't get over how _weird_ it is seeing you without Sofia."

He sighed, folding his arms. He knew this would be a point that people would make. They really _did_ spend a lot of time together.

"And there's something different about you…" She walked around him, practically sizing him up. "You look the same. You sound the same." She paused in front of him, narrowing her eyes as she scrutinized him. She then smirked. "You have the look of a tired parent though." She gasped as he blinked in surprise. "Oh, I was only half serious, but now I'm actually curious." She placed her hands on her hips. "_Is _there a kid in your life now? And if so, why didn't we hear about it?"

Cedric shifted nervously under the trio's gaze before sighing. "It's…a rather long story, but… The shortened version is that Sofia and I found a little girl named Nana several weeks ago now. She was alone and seemed to be abused and uncared for, so…we took her in."

"Wow," Dante gasped. "I so wasn't expecting that."

"Me neither," Gabriella laughed as she folded her arms. "So you're technically a dad now."

The Enchancian sorcerer blushed, shaking his head. "I'm her guardian, as is Sofia. As are the other members of the royal family. We all equally take care of her."

"Okay, so she has a _lot_ of mommies and daddies." The sorceress snickered as he sighed.

"Are you going to tell us the _long_ version of your story then?" Sir Finlay inquired as he tugged at his sleeve. "Because I have a feeling that there's more to this child than you're telling us."

"Oh, there's much more," Cedric admitted. "And… She may even be part of the reason this meeting is taking place."

"Ooh!" Dante grinned. "The plot thickens. Now we've _gotta_ hear the rest of the story."

"Very well. But not here…" He looked around uncertainly, making sure that no one was listening. "When we get our rooming assignments, meet me in mine, and I'll tell you everything."

The others agreed, and while the workers were unloading everyone's luggage, and while the visitors were getting their assigned rooms and agendas, someone—or something—was watching them all. If only they'd paid a little closer attention to those eyes on the painting of King Quixote…they'd notice just how dangerously _red_ they were…

To be continued…

Next chapter: Day 2: To the Mystic Isles and to the Meeting

* * *

Ending Note: King Quixote's name is pronounced 'Kee-HOH-tay' or 'ki-ho-teɪ.'


	4. Day 2: To the Mystic Isles and Meeting

Apart

Summary: When Cedric has to attend a Royal Sorcery Seminar without Sofia and Nana, the girls must find ways to make the week go faster until he gets back home. Meanwhile, Cedric learns more about the Never Realm's uprising... (Plot and cover photo by MarionetteJ2X)

Disclaimer: I own nothing except the Never Realm and a few OCs mentioned here like Sir Finlay and Dante. Nana belongs to MarionetteJ2X. 😊

A/N: Things are about to pick up with Sofia and Nana! And this meeting is about to be underway with Cedric and his companions. Let's see what happens, shall we? A few things: this chapter will be much longer and will spend the first half focusing on Sofia and Nana; the second half will shift focus to Cedric, and you'll get to see the first part of his meeting (or at least some of it). Oh, and one of the characters you'll meet in here was an homage to one of my favorite Broadway characters. :D If you catch it, you'll know it instantly. Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 4: Day 2: To the Mystic Isles and to the Meeting

* * *

_**Sofia & Nana**_

Day 2 of Cedric being gone was a bit more difficult for Nana than yesterday, simply because it had been two whole days since she'd seen her guardian. To adults or at least older kids or teenagers, separation from loved ones happened and would be resolved eventually, but for someone as young as Nana, that time apart felt like it dragged on and on.

She was lying on Sofia's bed, her feet propped up on her pillows while her upper body lay flat on the newly-made bed. She had her arms as outstretched as they would go, and her eyes were trained on the top of Sofia's canopy. She didn't feel much like moving right now, and she wasn't really motivated to do much of anything, so upside down on the bed she chose to stay.

Sofia stood to the side and worried her thumb a bit as she watched her little charge. Sure, she missed Cedric too (a _lot_, she realized), but they couldn't just stop their daily activities just because he was at a meeting. A _required _meeting. "Next time, we're going with him," she told herself as she lowered her hand. "I don't care _what _the leaders have to say. I'll pull the princess card on them if I have to. Poor Nana needs us _both _and this isn't doing her any favors…"

To make matters a bit worse, they were the only two left in the castle (save for the usual workers and Baileywick, of course). Calista was at school, and Cordelia was substituting long-term for one of the pregnant professors. James had gone with Amber and Desmond to the latter's home kingdom to take care of some official business there. And Miranda and Roland had taken Corban with them on a trade meeting trip with some new kingdom she'd never heard of.

With everyone else gone, she felt the emptiness in the castle, and she was sure Nana did as well.

That's why she was a bit relieved to have her Enchantlet activate, Chrysta's face appearing before her. She grinned a bit. "Hey, Chrysta! What's going on?"

"Sofia, we have a bit of an emergency up here," the crystal fairy told her, sighing. "Can you come right now?"

Sofia glanced toward her bed, noting that Nana had turned over onto her stomach and was staring at her with a curious expression. She smiled at the girl before nodding toward Chrysta. "Be there as soon as possible." She lowered her hand and hurried over to the bed, scooping the child into her arms. "How would you like to go to the Mystic Isles?" She winked at the little girl. "They have unicorns."

Nana lit up, a grin splitting across her face as she clapped her hands excitedly.

"I'll take that as a yes."

* * *

Nana gasped in awe as she saw Minimus for the first time. Even for all her experience with magical situations (especially considering who her guardians were), she'd never actually seen the winged horse before. And she found him absolutely _fascinating_ as she stared him down.

"Minimus, I'd like you to officially meet Nana," Sofia said, having propped the little girl on her left hip. "She's my charge."

"What's a charge, exactly?" Minimus asked, narrowing his eyes at the little strawberry girl, who was steadily leaning closer to him. He found her both adorable and intimidating at the same time, though he wasn't sure why.

"Uh…" The princess shrugged. "Well, I'm one of her guardians now. She doesn't have any family or anything, so I help take care of her."

"Oh! So you're like her mom!"

Sofia blushed at his reasoning before sighing. "Not exactly, but… Oh, never mind. We need to get to the Mystic Isles. Chrysta called about an emergency."

"Uh-_huh._" He grinned playfully. "And Skye didn't come to get you because…?"

She rolled her eyes and placed her hand on her free hip. "Minimus."

He chuckled. "Fine. Get on. But tell your daughter not to bounce around, because it's not exactly the safest ride for a baby."

Again, the princess flushed a bit at his words. "She's not my daughter, and she's not a baby…" She sighed as she glanced toward Nana, who just blinked up at her. "Not…exactly…" Shaking her head, she climbed onto Minimus's back and turned the little girl around so that she was sitting directly in front of her. "Hold on tightly, okay? I've got you."

Nana nodded.

* * *

Throughout the ride to the Mystic Isles, Sofia watched her charge carefully, a small smile on her face as the little one gasped at each new visual or grinned as a few birds flew by. She really seemed to appreciate this more elevated (literally) adventure, and the princess started to wonder if, perhaps, she should take Nana on more trips like this. '_Depends on how she handles the Mystic Isles, I guess_,' she thought to herself.

When they arrived in the Mystic Isles, Nana climbed up to Sofia's shoulder and held onto her neck as they both touched to the ground.

"Thanks for the ride, Minimus," Sofia said, giving her friend a swift hug. "We're going to see what's going on with Chrysta. I'm probably going to have to find Skye soon enough to see if he can help me with whatever mission Chrysta has in mind, so..."

"I'm sure I'll find something to do," the winged horse chuckled. "I'll be back in a little while then." He winked toward the little girl. "Nice to meet you, Nana. See ya later!" With that, he took off.

"Okay, Nana, let's see what Chrysta needs to tell us." The princess approached her former trainer's home and knocked on the door, waiting patiently.

Before long, Chrysta opened the door and sighed in relief. "Sofia, glad you made it. I was just coming back to get some things for Orion, and—" She paused, blinking as she saw Nana sitting on her former trainee's shoulder. "Um. Are you aware that you have a tiny kid on your shoulder?"

Sofia grinned. "Well…"

The crystal fairy's mouth dropped. "What have _you_ been up to recently? You been adopting kids without my knowing it or something?"

The princess blushed at her friend's inquiry. "It's not exactly like that. This is Nana. Long story short, she was once a strawberry, but some cult members infused her with a child's blood and made her human; she has healing powers, which they exploited to help out their members from the Never Realm. She escaped, found me and Mr. Cedric, and we had Mr. Merlin help us to break her bond with the evil cult, and now she lives with us. The end." She breathed deeply and exhaled, grinning sheepishly at her friend's shocked expression.

"Um, okay… Yeah, that's a lot to take in at once, but…" She smiled toward the little girl, who was watching her curiously. "Nice to meet you, Nana. You sure are adorable!"

Nana smiled shyly before burying her face in Sofia's hair.

"She doesn't talk," Sofia explained, reaching up and gently patting her charge's back. "But she understands everything we say. Anyway…" She giggled as Nana climbed on top of her head and pressed her tiny hands to her forehead. "What's going on exactly?"

Chrysta shrugged as she shut the door and led the princess along. "Oh, just a rather nasty dispute up here. There's a group of elves who live on the Isle of Elves. You've met a couple before: Elfalfa and Elfabetty?"

"Oh, right. I last saw them when I was…eleven, I think?" She laughed. "It's been a while. So, what's the dispute about?"

"There's a group of elves called 'The Elf-Efficients,' and yes, it's just as corny as it sounds."

Sofia smiled and rolled her eyes before reaching up and gathering Nana into her arms so she could hold her better.

"They created their own group to work on projects to better their isle and all kinds of good stuff. Well, there's a bully who's been messing with them and their territory, and he's been destroying their crops. He's a wayward troll named Rumkey, and he's known for being a stubborn and sometimes violent tyrant. However, I figure if we had the 'Sofia touch' added into the mix, maybe we can resolve this issue pretty quickly." She smiled imploringly toward her friend, who smirked at her. "Besides, we've kind of got a _lot_ going on here and could _really_ use the help."

"Well, since the Ever Realm is pretty calm right now, and since we've got nothing else going on, I'll help you out."

"Awesome!" She then frowned thoughtfully. "Meanwhile, where's Cedric? Usually I can't get you two apart for a mission these days."

Nana pouted, turning and leaning against her guardian.

Sofia sighed. "He had to go to a week-long meeting for royal sorcerers, and Nana and I couldn't go. She's…sort of attached to him, so it's really hard on her, especially since he's her second guardian." She gently rubbed Nana's back, causing the girl to sigh.

"Oh. _Oh_." Chrysta laughed. "So, _both_ of you take care of her, huh?"

She nodded. "And the rest of the castle, to be honest, but Mr. Cedric and I are her main caretakers."

"That is so weird. I never really imagined Cedric, of all people, being paternal enough to take care of a kid." She grinned toward her friend. "Looks like you've had quite the influence on him, huh?"

Sofia shrugged, smiling softly. "I try. But Nana has had the biggest impact on him. It's actually really sweet to watch them together." She giggled. "He just adores her."

"Mm-hmm…" Chrysta laughed softly before reaching out and ruffling the little girl's hair, causing her to giggle softly. "I can see why. Well, good luck with the elves. Remember: the Elf-Efficients. Their leader, Jelfrey, can fill you in some more. Let me know how it goes." With that, she hurried off to handle her own duties.

"Okay, kiddo." Sofia looked down toward the child, who smiled up at her. "Let's go solve some problems, shall we? And you'll get to see what I do as a Protector."

Nana beamed excitedly. She understood that her guardian was a princess and sorceress, but she wasn't altogether certain what being a Protector entailed. She'd heard Sofia mention the title a number of times, but this would be her first time seeing things first-hand. She nodded happily.

"Just need to get Skye, and then—"

"At your service, my princess!" Skye announced as he descended before the two girls, bowing respectfully. "It has been a while since I have last seen you, Princess Sofia." He blinked at Nana, who repeated the motion. "I was unaware you were bringing a child along." He gasped lightly. "Is she…_your_ child?"

Sofia sighed, smiling patiently. She realized she'd have a _lot _of questions to answer today. First Minimus, then Chrysta, now Skye, and later probably the other Protectors… She'd just come to accept it at this point. "Sort of, but not exactly." Again, she went through the explanation of Nana's origins and how she and Cedric had come to care for her, and by the time she was finished, she was amused to see a look of wonder on the unicorn's face. "Skye, you okay?"

"I am just…in awe of your loyalty and selflessness, my princess." He smiled warmly. "Those are qualities one would expect to find in any princess, but you go above and beyond, my friend. Little Nana is very fortunate to have you as her guardian."

Nana nodded in agreement, hugging her guardian's arm as she snuggled against her. She couldn't agree more.

Sofia giggled. "Thank you, Skye. Okay, so here's the plan: we need to get to the Isle of Elves. Chrysta said there's a dispute between a few of the elves and a bullying troll." She clambered onto his back, securing Nana as she did so.

"Ah, yes. Rumkey. He is a despicable excuse for a troll—most of whom I have found to be rather kind and noble. I am aware that they get a bad reputation for their troll predecessors, but most are genuinely good these days." He took off into the air, soaring along toward the requested isle as the girls held on tightly. "Rumkey apparently did not receive the message."

"I guess not. The trolls I know from Enchancia are great. Especially my friend Gnarlie." She smiled as Nana clutched her arm a bit tighter as Skye swooped lower, aiming for the Isle of Elves, which indeed was inhabited by quite a variety of the magical creatures. "I guess we'll just have to teach this Rumkey a thing or two."

"If anyone can do so, it is you, Princess Sofia." He touched down to the ground and let the girls descend, and then bowed politely once more as he smiled at the duo. "I shall wait here for your return. I wish you well in this dispute settlement."

The princess laughed. "Thanks, Skye." She held Nana closely as they walked through the isle. One thing she instantly noticed is that there were different types of elves living here. While some were shorter in stature and rather youthful looking, others looked like fairly typical humans, minus the pointed ears and different shades of skin tones. Truly, those colors spanned across the spectrum. "Okay, Nana… Let's see. How are we going to find these guys?"

Nana squirmed out of her hold and climbed up to sit on her shoulder once more.

"I have an idea." She walked over to a young elf who was playing with a pinecone and smiled. "Hi there. I'm Sofia. What's your name?"

The little one looked up at her, a grin on his face. "I'm Belfkin. Nice to meet you, Sofia!"

She laughed. "Nice to meet you too, Belfkin. Say, can you tell me where I can find the…" She paused for a moment to remember what Chrysta had told her before smiling. "The Elf-Efficients? With Jelfrey?"

"Oh, yeah! They like to hang out in Jelfrey's cottage." He pointed behind Sofia. "It's that blue and brown building down that way. Just make sure you knock three times, and one of them will answer."

"Okay. Thanks, Belfkin. Nice to meet you." She hurried along, reaching up to make sure Nana was steady. "Maybe we can get this resolved and get back to the castle pretty quickly." She laughed softly as the little girl held onto her neck. "Although, I've got to admit: it feels pretty exciting to be on an adventure or a mission again. I kind of missed it."

Nana blinked. She wasn't fully aware of exactly what all Sofia used to do when she was younger, but she did know she was a pretty adventurous person. Maybe she'd bring her on her adventures from now on? At least a few? _That_ would be fun!

Once they arrived at the cottage, Sofia knocked three times (as previously suggested) and stood aside, waiting for a response. She smiled and glanced up as she felt her charge playing with her hair. "You okay up there?"

Nana nodded and grinned at her.

They both jumped a bit when the door suddenly swung open.

Before them stood an elf who was a few inches taller than Sofia. He had long, curly royal blue hair that brushed just past his shoulders; light green eyes; lightly tanned skin; pointed ears with red and gold earrings dangling from them; and a blue, gold, and green armor-like top with black slacks and boots. An interesting mark spanned across his left eye as well. His expression was mild yet slightly intimidating, especially since he seemed to be holding a possible weapon in his right hand. "Who are you?" he demanded, his accent similar to Orion's, though his voice wasn't nearly as deep or as warm as the other Protector's.

"I'm…Princess Sofia from Enchancia. I'm a Protector—from the Ever Realm. Chrysta sent me here to help you with your…troll problem?" Sofia gave him a curious stare. "Are you…Jelfrey, by any chance?"

"I am." He sighed, tossing the object he'd been holding somewhere inside the cottage, before offering Sofia a small smile. "I apologize for my cold greeting, Princess Sofia. I have heard of you and your good deeds before. Everyone knows how you defeated Vor."

She laughed softly. "Yeah… I hear that a lot."

"Please, come in. I am honored that you would give up your time to help us with this issue." He led the girls inside before shutting the door behind them.

"It's no problem at all. It's part of my job, really."

"Who's that, Jelfrey?" a red-skinned male elf asked, a look of amusement on his face. "She doesn't look very elf-ish."

"Everyone, this is Princess Sofia, the Protector of the Ever Realm." An echo of impressed murmurs filled the small space, causing Sofia and Nana to exchange glances. "She has been sent to help us deal with Rumkey." He gestured toward his fellow elves. "Allow me to introduce everyone: Elfaba, Relfie, Stelfanie, Elfton, and Steve."

"Steve?" Sofia laughed, a bit taken aback by the un-elf-like name. Or from what she gathered, anyway…

The red-skinned elf shrugged. "My mom wanted me to be different from all the other elves. I was like, 'Okay, MARC_ELF_A.'" He laughed.

Elfaba was a green-skinned elf with long black hair braided into two ponytails to her hips. She wore a navy blue and gold gown with flowing golden sleeves and a matching headpiece. From her ears dangled pink earrings shaped into miniature crystal balls. Her eyes seemed to be a lighter shade of green than her skin, and on each cheek, she had a light blue mark.

Relfie was a gray-skinned elf with spiky green hair (and two longer pieces dangling below his ears). He had teal eyes with triangular blue marks beneath each of them. In his left ear, he wore a yellow feather earring; in his right, he had a red one. His outfit consisted of black slacks and boots like Jelfrey, but his top was also black with red, gold, and blue trimmings.

Stelfanie seemed a bit younger than Elfaba. She was a light purple-skinned elf with long flowing pink and purple hair tied into a ponytail that just grazed her legs. Her eyes were also purple, and along her cheeks and the bridge of her nose were sprinkles of darker purple freckles. Her light blue and gold gown flowed down to her ankles, and her matching shoes peeked out from beneath. Resting on her head seemed to be a tiara that also matched the dress. She wore some crystal earrings in her own ears. On her shoulder was a small green and white bird.

Elfton was an aqua-skinned elf with short, curly purple hair and reddish-brown eyes. Like Stelfanie, he had many freckles, though his spanned not only along his cheeks and nose, but also around his forehead. Like the other guys, he wore black slacks and boots, but his top was a long, loose garment that was olive-hued, and beneath the collar lay a purple band with a ruby-red gem attached to it.

Steve, the red-skinned elf, had long white hair tied up into a ponytail and loose pieces hanging by his ears and down to his chest. He had hazel eyes, beneath which lay white stars on each cheek. In his ears, he wore gold wing-like earrings. He, too, wore black slacks and boots, though his top was a pale green long-sleeved shirt with a black armor-like collar piece, and on each side of the piece lay a gold skull. Ironically enough, though his outfit seemed a bit intimidating, his goofy smile suggested otherwise.

"It's nice to meet you all," Sofia said before gesturing toward her charge. "Oh, this is Nana. I'm her guardian, and she's come along with me today for her first mission."

Nana smiled at the six friends before leaning back against Sofia's head to rest.

"I'm glad you've come to help us!" Stelfanie exclaimed happily in her light voice, rushing over and grasping Sofia's hands, causing the other girl to blink. "That awful Rumkey has made our lives miserable here. He's ruining all of our plants and destroying our land in general, and my poor Cali can't even get her seeds or build a nest for her eggs." She sighed as she reached up and gently stroked the tiny bird's feathers with her finger. "It's been tragic."

"Not to mention, we still aren't even able to grow and harvest our own crops for our people, who may starve because of him," Elfton added, walking over and placing his hand on Stelfanie's free shoulder. "Like my sister said, Rumkey has been an absolute terror. And he also doesn't seem to have a problem with getting physically violent."

"Man, tell me about it," Relfie scoffed. "That moron nearly sliced through my leg the other day when he started throwing those spears at us."

"_Spears_?" Sofia asked, blinking, her eyes widening.

"Oh, yes," Elfaba added calmly, her voice a bit lower than Stelfanie's: a warmer and richer tone. "Rumkey gives trolls a horrid name. The trolls we know are kind and thriving. This troll, for whatever reason, has lost his way. And he is taking out his frustration and anger on us elves—the six of us, in particular."

"And we don't know why," Steve finished, folding his arms. "Even his twenty-six brothers and sisters—and his two half-troll-siblings and pet frog Josephat—can't stand him."

"That's…interesting." The princess frowned determinedly. "But I'll do what I can to help you guys out. I've come to find that settling disputes isn't necessarily all that hard. Maybe I can talk to him and see what's going on, and you guys can come to an agreement."

"I'm not sure 'reasoning' with Rumkey will be as easy as you believe it will be," Jelfrey informed her. "But we've tried everything else at this point. We will try things your way, Princess."

"Good. I'll see what I can do to help."

"Follow us then," Relfie told her, beckoning her forward. "We'll show you where he hides out."

* * *

It took a bit of walking to get to the cave where Rumkey apparently liked to stay, but when they did arrive, they could already hear a lot of yelling and crashing around, even from outside.

"I guess he likes to destroy his owns stuff too," Elfton stated, frowning as he folded his arms.

"You guys wait here," Sofia told them as she held out her right arm, her Enchantlet tightening a bit around her wrist. "I'll see if I can draw him out." She carefully approached the cave, peering inside and frowning at the darkness. "Wow, I can barely see anything." She climbed up the rock forms and into the cave, grasping her amulet. "I wish this cave had more lighting so I can see please." She knew it was probably one of her weaker wishes, but she still hoped it worked. Especially considering her reasoning behind it.

Luckily, it did work, and the dark, daunting cave suddenly lit up with plenty of new torches placed along the sides of the stone walls.

"HEY!" hollered a gruff voice from somewhere near the center of the cave. "WHO DARES LIGHT MY CAVE WITH FIRE?!" Pounding footsteps echoed around the corner, and before long, the dreaded Rumkey appeared.

Sofia blinked and had to hold back laughter. _This_ was Rumkey?

The terrible troll was probably no bigger than Nana, but he was much bulkier than the little girl. He wore a sleeveless brown top and dark pants, and he had small gold hoop earrings in each ear. His hair was wild and brown, and his eyes were dark green. His stomach was a bit bigger than the rest of his body, causing his shirt to lift up a bit. He wore a sneer on his face once he reached the girls. "What're you doin' in my cave?!"

"Are you Rumkey?" Sofia asked, trying not to snicker.

"Who wants to know?" He glared at her. "Were you the one who lit up my cave?"

"Yes, and I'm Princess Sofia."

"Ooh, a princess. Whoop-tee-doo!" He pointed toward the exit. "The exit's _that_ way, your highness! Buh-bye, now!"

Sofia folded her arms. "Oh, I'm not leaving until you come talk to the Elf-Efficients."

"Ugh, _those_ idiots?" He laughed raucously. "I don't think so. So what if I destroyed their precious crops and habitats? Big deal. They're the reason I'm in this stinkin' cave in the first place."

She blinked, tilting her head as Nana sat up and leaned forward curiously. "What do you mean?"

"They never wanted me here in the first place: said I didn't belong on the Isle of Elves and to go back where I came from. But I liked it here, 'cause they had some good food! When they started chasin' me away, I started fightin' back." He fisted his tiny hands. "I've got super-strength. Got it from my Pop. So I started destroyin' their stuff since they were so rude to me. And even after I got my revenge, I kept doin' it because I don't forgive, and I _don't_ forget!" He lifted his hand and pointed at her. "And you can take that message back to those disgusting elves too! I ain't sorry for what I did, and I'll keep doin' it!"

"Bitterness is only going to hurt you in the end," the princess warned. "Trust me. I've seen it happen far too often, and you're heading down that same path." She raised her right hand, revealing her Enchantlet. "If you don't make a change, a change will be made for you; and believe me when I tell you that we Protectors don't take things lightly: especially the ones from the Mystic Isles."

"What're you gonna do?" he challenged, smirking. "Hit me with your little bracelet?"

"If that's what you want." Sofia smiled peacefully. "But I'd hoped we could settle this dispute calmly and rationally."

He scoffed. "I don't do calmly and rationally, Princess. You can pass that message along to those idiot elves too. I'm lookin' out for me and me alone!"

"I see." Without another word, she released her lasso from her Enchantlet and roped him toward her, holding the magical rope taut and pulling him behind her, out of the cave, all while he was kicking and screaming. "Sorry, I don't speak 'whining gibberish.'" She grinned as he yelled louder, even after exiting the cave with him in tow.

"She actually caught Rumkey?" Steve asked with a laugh. "That's a first! He's way too fast for _us_ to catch!"

"Hi, guys," Sofia greeted kindly as she yanked Rumkey forward, forcing him to stand next to her. "Here's your chance. A chance to have a nice, calm, collected conversation."

Rumkey grumbled something under his breath before snapping the rope, causing it to retract into Sofia's Enchantlet again.

"Hey!"

The troll yelled, "I ain't talkin' to no one!" He began picking up rocks, hurling them toward the elves who were gathered. He sneered as the rocks pelted every single elf, some several times. He especially threw them at Jelfrey, his clear least favorite. "You get what you deserve!" He ran forward and, with his super strength, knocked Jelfrey down and began punching him in the face before Steve and Relfie quickly grabbed him, pulling him off. "LET ME GO!"

"I see you prefer to do things the hard way," Sofia sighed. "Fine. I tried. We'll just see what the other Protectors would like to do then." She held up her Enchantlet, smiling as Chrysta appeared in her visual. "Hey, Chrysta. Can you tell Mr. Orion that we need him on the Isle of Elves please?"

"Sure thing, Sofia. Caught the scoundrel, did you?" She grinned.

Sofia glanced toward Rumkey, who was struggling in the elves' grasp, and rolled her eyes. "Something like that."

After a while, Orion and his team showed up, capturing Rumkey before taking him back to headquarters. He'd promised the elves that they would send in some gardening fairies to help their crops grow back quicker, and he'd make sure that the rest of their property was restored.

"Sorry I wasn't any _real_ help," Sofia sighed as she, Nana, and the elves were back at Jelfrey's cottage, Elfaba treating his wounds with some special ointment. "I didn't mean for you guys to get hurt."

"He's done worse, trust me," Elfton assured her.

"But that's not right. I don't care what his excuse is; he shouldn't resort to hurting people." She blinked as Nana slid down from her shoulder, into her lap, and then onto the floor, before hurrying over toward Elfaba and Jelfrey. "Nana, sweetie, what are you doing?"

Jelfrey glanced down at the little girl, his left eye swollen from being punched and his face and neck full of bruises. "What is it, little one?"

Nana held back a small gasp at his question. 'Little one' was Cedric's nickname for her, and it just reminded her how much she missed him. She pushed her emotions aside before reaching out and touching his forehead, her eyes closing.

Elfaba and the others watched in awed silence as Nana used her healing powers to restore Jelfrey to his usual state. "Oh, my… She has a gift."

"I guess I forgot to mention that," Sofia murmured with a gentle smile. "Nana is able to heal wounds." She watched as her charge moved to each elf, healing their little scratches and bumps from when Rumkey had thrown rocks at them. "Good girl, Nana."

Stelfanie giggled as she was the last one to receive Nana's healing. "Aw, you're such a cutie!" She scooped Nana into a hug, smiling as the strawberry child hesitantly returned the affection.

Nana was getting more used to people expressing happy affections, though she had been a bit caught off guard by Stelfanie's hug. Still, she returned it all the while, happy to help such nice new acquaintances.

"We should probably get going now," the princess informed them, standing and picking up the little girl. "It's getting late, and if anyone has made it back to the castle yet, I'm sure they will start wondering where we are."

"Please come back any time," Elfton encouraged.

"Under better circumstances, of course," Relfie laughed.

"Yeah," Steve chimed. "You two are awesome, and we owe you for at least stepping in on our behalf. Plus, the kid totally healed us up. You've got a cool daughter, Princess."

Sofia was about to correct him but smiled as Nana gave her a questioning stare. "Yeah… I guess I do."

Nana smiled happily.

* * *

_**Cedric**_

Cedric was seated between Sir Finlay and Dante as they awaited the speaker's arrival. Apparently, from what he'd heard, Malango the Magnanimous was to address them. Somehow, that didn't necessarily surprise him, but it did worry him a bit.

If Malango was involved with this conference, then that would mean the Conjuror's Board knew something… And if they knew something, it was probably really bad. Then again, the uprising of the Never Realm was definitely coming. Everyone could feel it. It was why they were here in the first place, after all.

As they watched other sorcerers and sorceresses and any variety of royal magic wielders fall in to the room, Cedric felt his mind beginning to wander. Last night had been so strange for him. Usually, either he or Sofia would care for Nana in the evening time, but either way, he _always_ bid them goodnight since the little girl had come under their care. That was the first night he'd gone without telling her goodnight, and it had eaten him up inside.

Not that he could tell the others. Sure, they all had children and would understand from a parental point of view, but Cedric wasn't necessarily a parent. He was a guardian…which was similar but still quite different, as far as he was concerned. Nana was special since she hadn't been _born_, and her origins were so dark and sad. Sure, her life was much better now since she'd been accepted and practically 'adopted' into Enchancia, but he knew it wouldn't be that easy to simply overlook the truth.

And the plain and simple truth was that Nana wasn't a typical child. She never would be. But that didn't really matter, because to him and to Sofia, and even to the others in that castle, she was _everything_ to them…

So, not getting to rock her to sleep or sing her lullaby with Sofia that past night had been really difficult. Maybe he should have sneaked them along, after all…

"Cedric?" Sir Finlay asked, waving his hand in front of the dazed sorcerer's face and smiling patiently as Cedric snapped out of his mini trance. "Are you all right? You seemed rather dazed."

"Oh, sorry, Finlay…" He sighed, folding his arms and shaking his head. "I guess I was just thinking."

"You may want to think about something else," Gabriella teased as she grinned at him. "You were frowning so heavily that your forehead was more crinkled than King Cyprus's neck folds."

"Gabby!" Sir Finlay rolled his eyes as he sighed while she cackled. "Honestly." He groaned in exasperation before glancing back at Cedric, smiling knowingly. "You're thinking about the girls, aren't you?"

Cedric glanced over at his friend.

"Trust me, I understand. But I wouldn't worry if I were you. From what you've told us, it appears that Princess Sofia is wonderful with your little Nana, and they're both probably getting on just fine."

"Without me," Cedric sighed.

"Look at it this way," Dante began with a grin, "they say that absence makes the heart grow fonder, right? They're already fond of you. By the time you get back, they'll be _super_ fond of you—more than ever before."

The Enchancian royal sorcerer lifted an eyebrow at the younger sorcerer. "I beg your pardon?"

"What Mr. Poet over there is trying to say," Gabriella interjected with a snicker, "is that Sofia and Nana miss you already. After five days, they'll probably never stop hugging you. I know how close you and Sofia are. Whether you realize it or not, Cedric, you two are like two sides of the same coin. Two halves of a whole. Without each other, you feel different—sometimes even empty inside, right?"

Cedric sighed and glanced down.

"That's what happens when you separate people from their loved ones…their family. Trust me, she's feeling the same way, Cedric. And little Nana… You and Sofia are her everything. She's missing half of her 'everything.'" She smiled gently at him as he looked back toward her. "But the good news is that it's not forever. You'll see each other soon. You're here for a reason, though, and that's to learn more about this evil and how to protect not only your kingdom from the Never Realm, but also the two people who mean the most to you. So keep your eyes, open, Cedric." She sat back, looking toward Malango as he took the stage. "I have a feeling we're in for quite a ride…"

Cedric took in everything Gabriella had said, and he was about to respond when the leader of the Conjuror's Board began speaking.

"Fellow magic wielders," he started, his voice amplified by his wand, "I'm aware you're here due to the summons. However, I'm afraid I have worse news than I originally intended to deliver." He sighed as the group of people before him began murmuring softly. "The Never Realm is indeed on the rise, and with it their most infamous cults and even, as rumor has it, Malum In Se."

Dante's jaw dropped. "Malum In Se? THE Malum In Se? Th-That's not good…"

"I've spoken with a number of other magic wielders, but as royal wielders, you are all slated to protect your own kingdoms and royal families, who are a huge portion of the Ever Realm. It is your duties to ensure their safety as best as you can." He frowned as the murmurs were growing louder. "Quiet!" Once he saw that he had their full attention, he continued, "There is much you need to know, so bear with me for the next hour while I detail everything _I _know."

Cedric couldn't help feeling extremely nervous and uncomfortable. The Never Realm was approaching. The cults. The evil. The… What if something happened to them? To Nana? To Sofia? He frowned heavily as he clenched his fists. He wouldn't allow it. He couldn't.

Not when he'd fought so hard and come so far to finally realize what was most important in his life…

"Sofia… Nana…" He clasped his hands in his lap. "I won't let anything happen to either of you. I promise…"

To be continued…

Next Chapter: Day 3: Dolls and Portraits


	5. Day 3: Dolls and Portraits

Apart

Summary: When Cedric has to attend a Royal Sorcery Seminar without Sofia and Nana, the girls must find ways to make the week go faster until he gets back home. Meanwhile, Cedric learns more about the Never Realm's uprising... (Plot and cover photo by MarionetteJ2X)

Disclaimer: I own nothing except the Never Realm and a few OCs mentioned here like Sir Finlay and Dante. Nana belongs to MarionetteJ2X. 😊

A/N: This chapter is relatively short and sweet. I'm always talking about parallels, and I feel this is one of those times where it's more obvious. 😊 See what YOU think though!

* * *

Chapter 5: Day 3: Dolls and Portraits

* * *

_**Sofia & Nana**_

Despite all the excitement the previous day, Nana had been rather quiet today. She was constantly staring longingly out the window in Sofia's bedroom, her little hands and face pressed against the glass as small sighs escaped her tiny frame every now and again.

It was truly sad for Sofia, who just wanted her tiny charge to be happy. She stood near her door, her arms folded as she leaned against the wall, watching the little one. "Oh, Nana…" She then smiled softly as an idea came to her.

She walked over to the trunk at the foot of her bed (yes, the same one from her childhood) and knelt, unlatching the clasp and pushing the lid up. After sorting through several items, she finally grinned as she found what she'd been looking for. She closed the lid before hiding the item behind her back as she stood and walked over to the younger girl. "Hey, Nana."

Nana blinked and turned to her guardian as she sat next to her. Although her previous expression had been rather forlorn, she now appeared quite curious as to why Sofia had one arm hidden behind her back and a playful smile on her face. She pointed toward her guardian's tucked arm, tilting her head.

"What is it?" Sofia laughed. "Are you wondering what I'm hiding?" Seeing Nana nod, she smiled. "It's kind of a surprise… It's something very special to me, because _someone_ very special to me gave me this when I was younger. But I think you might need it now. Would you like it?"

The little girl finally smiled a little bit as she nodded again. A startled gasp escaped her lips as she saw what Sofia revealed to her. It was a little plush version of Cedric. Although it looked a bit worn from time passing, the doll was still relatively well intact, and it certainly looked a _lot _like her other guardian. Nana beamed as Sofia handed her the doll, and the little one instantly cuddled it.

"I take it you like it?" Sofia giggled as Nana dived toward her, hugging her (and the doll) tightly. "Now he'll always be near, even if he's away on his trip." She patted the little one's back before smiling. "Mr. Cedric gave that to me when I was his apprentice a long time ago. He'd want you to have it now. But take good care of it, okay?"

Nana grinned up at her and nodded enthusiastically before hugging the princess again.

Sofia laughed softly, thoughtfully. "You're welcome, Nana."

* * *

_**Cedric**_

Yesterday had been absolutely exhausting and mentally draining. Malango the Magnanimous had talked for hours, and that was no exaggeration. He'd detailed several things that they needed to know, and it was horrifying what had occurred already. People from all across the realm were dropping from nearly invisible attacks, and while some had pulled through, most had met their demise.

What they knew now was that there were three other powerful cults besides the defunct Tenebrous. Those cults were called the Cainors (infamous for their murderous feats), the Darvintes (masters and mistresses of varieties of deception), and the Knalchos (known for tampering with the afterlife and putting a sinister spin on it). In addition, they'd heard that the evil supreme being of the Never Realm, Malum In Se, had already begun plotting the destruction of…well, pretty much everyone and everything.

"_It's certainly not hard to spot Malum In Se_," Malango the Magnanimous had mentioned the previous day at their first meeting. "_The legends you've heard are quite true: it is pure evil, it is cloaked in darkness, and it will kill you instantly if you look directly in its eyes_." Incredibly foreboding yet completely expected…so to speak.

The meeting had actually run much longer than expected, so they had all been given the day off to rest and prepare for the following day as well as the remainder of the week. Truth be told, Cedric was glad to have the day to himself, because it afforded him the time to think about everything that he'd heard, not to mention he'd be able to get a bit more sleep and general rest. While he'd seen Dante, Sir Finlay, and Gabriella earlier that morning for breakfast, he'd decided to retreat to his room after a couple of hours to have some downtime.

"So, this is it," Cedric murmured to himself as he lay on his bed in his own private room, sighing as he massaged his forehead. "It feels so…ominous."

In fact, the whole scenario reminded him a lot of a recent venture, during which his and Sofia's alternate selves, Ceddy and Fia, had teamed up with him and Sofia to help destroy a villain called Arcadios. If he was perfectly honest with himself, he'd felt the immense danger then. But this… _This_ was _bad_, and he knew it was probably going to be one of the biggest challenges of his life—of _all_ their lives. He knew how perilous it would be when the Never Realm finally broke into their realm, and he could only hope that they were ready.

He was a bit startled when he heard a loud clap of thunder directly outside of his window, followed by a heavy downpour of rain. While he'd been expecting _some _rain, he hadn't been fully prepared for the current conditions. Then again, as long as they were indoors for the duration, it wasn't like they were hindered by the weather anyway.

"I wonder what they're doing right now…" He sat up and leaned over the edge of his bed, pulling his bag up and setting it next to him. He unfastened the latch and rummaged around through some of the items inside before pulling out a rectangular object covered by a cloth pouch. After removing the cover, he smiled once he saw what he now held.

It was a brown picture frame with a strawberry surrounded by two red hearts on the top left corner. Inside the frame was a recently painted image of Sofia and Nana (which Amber had made for him about a week or so ago). In the image, Sofia was dressed in her purple sorceress outfit with her long hair tied up in her usual ponytail, and she had her arms wrapped securely around Nana, who was grinning excitedly (just like her guardian). They looked _so_ happy in that picture.

"I promise you both," he murmured softly as he gently caressed the frame, "nothing will come between us. I will protect you from this evil, even if it's the last thing I do…"

Having said that, another loud clap of thunder echoed outside the window, setting the portentous mood for what was to come.

To be continued…

Next chapter: Day 4: Bonding and More Bonding


	6. Day 4: Bonding and More Bonding

Apart

Summary: When Cedric has to attend a Royal Sorcery Seminar without Sofia and Nana, the girls must find ways to make the week go faster until he gets back home. Meanwhile, Cedric learns more about the Never Realm's uprising... (Plot and cover photo by MarionetteJ2X)

Disclaimer: I own nothing except the Never Realm and a few OCs mentioned here like Sir Finlay and Dante. Nana belongs to MarionetteJ2X. 😊

A/N: Time to bring Wormwood in for a while and get him involved in a few things. :D And meanwhile, Cedric finally lets the others in on the FULL story behind Nana's situation.

* * *

Chapter 6: Day 4: Bonding and More Bonding

* * *

_**Sofia & Nana**_

Day four of Cedric's absence was a bit better for both girls. In fact, Sofia had decided to finish labeling a few bottles that Cedric had started on prior to his trip, just to have something to do for the late morning.

Nana was with her, though she was sitting in a little chair that Cedric had made for her (a plush pink one with strawberry designs all over the fabric, naturally), and she was happily munching on a cookie. She seemed to be in better spirits, especially as she held onto her Cedric doll.

Sofia glanced up from her labeling as Baileywick appeared at the opened door. She smiled. "Hey, Baileywick."

The steward chuckled. "I don't remember the last time I saw this door open," he remarked with a smirk. "Sorry to bother you, Princess, but your mother wanted to see you in the throne room for just a few minutes. Something about Princess Amber's wedding, I'm sure."

"Oh, right. It's probably about her gift." She nodded. "I'll be down in a little bit, if you don't mind telling her."

"Of course." He bowed before turning and leaving.

Sofia glanced toward Wormwood, who was sitting on the worktable and reading a book. She knew he read a lot, but it was still so funny to see, in her opinion. Especially since he had tiny spectacles nestled on the base of his beak. _That_ was just adorable, but she'd _never_ tell Wormwood that. "Can you watch Nana while I talk to my mom?"

Wormwood scoffed as he flipped a page in his book before glancing up at the princess and using one talon to remove his spectacles, tossing them aside. "I'm not a babysitter."

"She's not some sort of tiny tyrant who's going to destroy things as soon as I leave." She stood up and playfully tapped him on the head, causing him to sputter. "That sounds more like _you_, actually."

"I resent that." He rolled his eyes. "I'm far calmer than I used to be, despite my qualms with changing into just as big a goody-two-shoes as you and Cedric."

"Don't worry, Wormwood," Sofia teased. "You're still not that great."

"Goo—hey!" He glared at the princess, who was leaning down and kissing her charge on the forehead. "You're rather mean for a princess, you know."

"Crack a history book, my dear raven." She winked at him. "There are plenty of 'mean' royals in history. Anyway, I'll be back in a while. You two be good." With that, she walked out of the workshop, shutting the door behind her.

Nana continued munching on her cookie as Wormwood flew over and landed in front of her on the floor. She lowered what was left of the cookie and smiled at the bird before pinching off a small piece of the uneaten section, extending her open palm toward him.

"I _know_ you don't think I'm about to eat a piece of your slobbery—ooh, is that boysenberry I see?" He lowered to her hand and accepted the offered piece of cookie before nodding in satisfaction. "You've got good taste in cookies for a tiny human."

The little girl grinned before turning and nodding toward the doll version of Cedric.

"Ugh, that is the most obnoxious thing I've ever seen." Wormwood scoffed. "I remember when he gave that to the princess. Not going to lie. I'm still a bit bitter that no one ever made a plush version of _me_, especially since they were going around making dolls of everyone at the time." He rolled his eyes. "Whatever. Perfection isn't always meant to be captured in the form of a toy. Prime example: me."

Nana giggled softly before reaching out and playfully patting him on the head.

"I suppose I should appreciate your enthusiasm." He leaned forward a bit. "Do you have any more of those cookies?"

She nodded with a sneaky smile.

* * *

When Sofia arrived in the workshop again, she could hardly believe her eyes. Somehow, Nana had gotten Wormwood to sit on her chair's arm, and they were sharing a cookie together. "I should have known you'd end up eating something while I was gone."

"She was eating it before you left," Wormwood reminded the princess as he finished up his bite.

"I was talking about _you_, Wormwood. You're always snacking on something." She shut the door behind her and laughed as she sat down at the table. "Glad to see you both getting along though."

"We always get along fine. A human who isn't constantly yapping my ear off? She's my favorite person in this castle right now."

Nana smiled and gently patted the raven's head.

Sofia rolled her eyes playfully before sighing, propping her arm up and leaning against her hand. "Hmm."

Wormwood watched the princess carefully. She seemed a bit distant, which he'd noticed earlier today. She was usually really chatty and outgoing, but when she'd been labeling those bottles, she'd practically been in another world. She hadn't even spoken much with Nana, and _that_ was _certainly_ strange. '_Don't ask it_,' he thought to himself. '_You're not Cedric. You're not one of her little friends. It's none of your business. You don't even __**care**__ that much! Stop it. Stop, I say._' "…_You_ sure seem rather distant today, Princess," he remarked, wincing inwardly as his inner self practically kicked the inside of his skull for disregarding it. Seeing as Sofia glanced in his direction, he cleared his throat. "I'm…not exactly Cedric or anything, and it's probably none of my business, but…why are you acting like a sad puppy?"

"No reason," she told him, leaning back and folding her arms.

"You really _are_ a terrible liar." Wormwood flew up to the table and sat across from her, leaving Nana in her chair (and munching on another cookie). "Don't say I never do anything nice for you." He gestured vaguely with his wing. "What's on your mind? Although if it's about how much you miss Cedric, I already know that and need not hear it again."

"It's not about him right now…" She sighed. "I got called to the Mystic Isles the other day. It was a good distraction, I guess, but I think I might have made a mistake."

"What kind of mistake?"

"There was a troll named Rumkey who was causing trouble for a group of elves on the Isle of Elves."

"Just a minute." He smirked. "You mean to tell me there's an 'Isle of Elves' in the Mystic Isles?" He laughed loudly as Sofia nodded. "What's next? The Isle of Unicorns?"

Sofia smirked. "It exists."

"Oh, for goodness sake. Of _course_ it does. You know what _I_ want to see? The Isle of Ravens!"

"Of _course_ you do," Sofia mimicked, grinning as he glowered at her. "Can I finish?"

"Hmph. Go on."

"Anyway, I tried reasoning with him and everything, but he was sort of difficult to deal with. I kind of…gave up on him, I guess, and just let the other Protectors deal with him instead of trying to solve the issue myself. Now, usually, I can deal with things like that, but I guess my mind has just been clouded recently with all this talk of the Never Realm uprising, and now Mr. Cedric is gone to a meeting about it, and Amber's wedding is fast approaching, and I'm trying to take care of Nana by myself, and I just…"

"You're stressed." There was no malice behind his words. They were perfectly logical and even sort of understanding, or at least as understanding as Wormwood would allow himself to be. "I'm not surprised, Princess Sofia. Look at all the things you've taken on." He gestured toward Nana, who was completely oblivious. "Not to mention, all the responsibility you now have in looking after the human strawberry."

Sofia laughed softly. "My Strawbaby, you mean?"

"Whatever you want to call her." He shook his head before looking toward the princess again. "I don't often say things like this, because it's not really in my nature, but it's all right _not_ to be the one to solve all the problems. It sounds to me like this Rumkey fellow was giving you and the elves a hard enough time that even the most diligent Protector out there gave up on him. That's not _your_ fault."

"But it _is_, Wormwood." She sighed heavily. "Part of my job as a Protector is to help others, even the more difficult cases. I just…couldn't. Or maybe I just didn't try hard enough."

"How exactly did things play out?"

She explained to him that she'd originally tried to reason with Rumkey, but he had informed her that he was perfectly fine acting selfish and that he would not settle things 'calmly and rationally.' So, she captured him using her Enchantlet and was even sort of snarky with him, which was unlike her (usually, anyway). After delivering him to Orion, she acknowledged that she hadn't really helped all that much, though the elves were considerate and claimed that she'd done her best regardless.

"Right, admittedly, that's a little bit unexpected of you, Princess Sunshine," Wormwood commented, causing her to scoff, "but I fail to see why you're so unnerved by it. You did the job you were asked to do. The troll refused help and acted irrationally, despite his story, so you did what you had to do. Why are you still so bothered by it?"

"Because it's not _me_…" She tapped her fingers on the worktable. "Or at least… It's not something I would do in the past. Or now…usually…"

"I hate to break it to you, Sofia, but you_ have_ changed over these years." Wormwood smiled knowingly as she glanced toward him. "You're not the same princess you used to be. For one thing, and if you say this to anyone I'll deny it, but I admire something about you: you stand up for others in the face of danger. When I first met you, you could hardly form proper words or act in an unawkward manner around others, but you've come a long way since then."

"Yeah, but—"

"You don't let anyone walk all over you, not even when Cedric tried to take over your kingdom. You stood up to him. You stood up to _me_. I doubt the old Sofia could have done that, to be honest. You were too naïve. Now, you're assertive and I'd even go so far as to say headstrong and rather powerful. There's nothing wrong with that, either. So, why should this bother you?"

She smiled sheepishly. "I see where you're coming from, Wormwood, and I appreciate it… I guess I just want there to be no hard feelings, even if Rumkey was technically in the wrong." She shrugged. "I'll probably go back to the Mystic Isles at some point and try to sort things out, because I want everyone to be happy. Maybe if I approach things differently, I can manage that."

"And if you can't?" He eyed her expectantly.

Sofia sighed, shrugging. "Then at least I tried, right?"

He smirked. "Right. Ms. Do-Gooder-Extraordinaire."

She grinned at him. "That's _Princess _Do-Gooder-Extraordinaire to you, thank you!"

Wormwood rolled his eyes. "Naturally."

* * *

_**Cedric**_

During the continued meeting, highlighting the historical aspects of Malum In Se, Gabriella noticed that Cedric seemed rather far away. He was distracted, fidgeting with his gloves or reaching up for the collar of his shirt every now and then. Upon closer inspection, she noticed that there was a small purple raven pin attached to the collar, and it made her wonder.

That evening when they were dismissed, the sorceress quickly grabbed Cedric's arm before he could stand from his seat, startling him a bit. "Meet us in our room: 261."

Cedric frowned, realizing that he wasn't going to get any sleep any time soon. "But I'm in room 33…yours is so far away."

"Oh, Cedric, stop whining." She stood, brushing out her robe. "Just do it." She glanced toward Dante, who blinked. "You too. Room 261. Meet us in thirty minutes." She grabbed Sir Finlay's hand and tugged him along.

"What's her deal?" Dante wondered, scratching his head as he stood up.

"I've been wondering the same thing since I met her nearly a decade ago." He rolled his eyes.

The younger sorcerer grinned as he and Cedric began walking along together. "If we _don't _go, she'll probably find some way to curse us or something. She seems sort of fiery and temperamental."

Cedric scoffed. "You don't know the half of it."

* * *

After a while, the four magic wielders were gathered in Sir Finlay's and Gabriella's private room, which seemed a bit grander than the smaller private quarters Cedric and Dante had. This room had a huge king bed decorated in a bright red comforter with gold trim. Across from the bed was a fireplace, and surrounding it were a few chairs and a loveseat. Beneath the furniture lay an ornate rug. There was a heavy oak armoire near the window, along with a full-length mirror next to it. The rest of the room's walls were covered with different expensive-looking portraits and paintings of all natures.

"If I'd known about all this, I would have requested a room up here," Cedric remarked. "My room barely has a bed and a dingy-looking dresser."

"Same," Dante sighed.

Gabriella grinned. "Once we indicated that we were a husband-and-wife team who were _both_ royal sorcerers for Helvetica, they gave us an upgrade. But that's not why I asked you two here. Sit down." She gestured toward the two vacant chairs near the fireplace as she sat next to Sir Finlay on the loveseat.

"What's this all about?" Dante wondered as he folded his arms.

"I just…thought we could use a little break from all the serious talk recently. Maybe we could talk about something a little more lighthearted." She smiled toward Dante. "You said you had a daughter, right?"

He blushed a bit at the question before nodding. "My wife, Princess Seraphina—I call her Sera—and I… We have a little girl named Issy, short for Isadora." He chuckled. "She's such a sweet girl: so curious and loving. She's expressed interest in magic already, and Sera is considering letting her practice it with me when she's older."

"That's commendable," Sir Finlay acknowledged. "Not all royals are comfortable with their children being associated with magic."

"And you two have children, right?" Dante smiled as the parents nodded. "What are their names?"

"Sapphire and Davina," Gabriella responded. "Sapphire is six years old and is extremely powerful for her age. And Davina, our toddler, is expressing powers herself: Light Magic, as a matter of fact."

"Whoa! That's awesome." The youngest in the room grinned. "That must have been a surprise to learn how powerful your kids were."

"It still is," Sir Finlay admitted, chuckling. "It's not always easy being around a little girl who can magically lift you into the air or float around…"

"Speaking of which, Cedric…" Gabriella smiled slyly toward the Enchancian royal sorcerer. "About this little girl you and Sofia are taking care of now… I'm really curious to hear more about her. We had so much going on the last few days that you never did tell us the full story about her background, like you said you would."

"Is _this_ why you summoned me here?" Cedric folded his arms. "We could have spoken of this down in the commons rooms, don't you think?"

"Not privately," she answered, shaking her head. "And I could read it all over your face: you'd had about enough of dealing with people today already, just like me. It's probably better to be here anyway."

"Yes…" He frowned and nodded. "Very well. I suppose it's necessary to explain everything in detail, so that you can know what Nana's life has been like, and how she ties into the Never Realm." He breathed in deeply, exhaled, and then began his story.

The other three sat and listened to the tale of Nana's background. They discovered her origins from the dark cult of the Never Realm, her mysterious healing powers, her now-broken dark mark connection that had linked her with the Tenebrous, her experience with abuse and learning how to trust, her near relinquishment to Merlin, and her eventual unofficial adoption into the Enchancian family: Cedric's and Sofia's 'family,' in particular, as they were now her guardians.

They heard the good: how she loved sweets, how she was always hanging out with Wormwood (despite his insistency that he found her annoying), how she had gotten new clothing and toys thanks to Amber and her guardians, how she had become best friends with little Corban, and so many other things.

They heard the bad: how she still suffered from nightmares sometimes, how she could still not speak, how she had connections to the Never Realm despite the link with the Tenebrous being severed, how she had to learn to accept and offer basic human affection, how she'd been malnourished yet had recovered thanks to Sofia's nurturing attention and Cedric's magical involvement, and others.

And they heard the ugly: how this child had been infused with the blood of a sacrificed child, how she'd been held captive since her conception, how she'd been robbed of her own powers and a real childhood…

"But she's thriving now," Cedric finished, avoiding looking at his friends, who (he was sure) had rather surprised expressions on their faces. "Thanks primarily to Sofia…"

"Don't sell yourself short, my friend," Sir Finlay insisted with a calm smile. "It sounds as though you have been an important addition to her life as well. The little one needs both you _and_ the princess, as it sounds as though she has bonded with you both."

Cedric chuckled. "She would be perfectly fine with just Sofia, I assure you."

Gabriella smiled knowingly. "But Sofia would never let that happen. Not after all you've been through together." She laughed thoughtfully. "I honestly can't even imagine you guys apart anymore. Except, of course, right now…"

"I'm a firm believer that things happen for a reason," Dante added, resting his arms across his stomach as he leaned back in the chair. "There's a reason that little girl came into your lives. There's a reason you and Princess Sofia are the ones taking care of her. There's a reason all of this Never Realm stuff is happening so suddenly… But in the end, I feel like things are going to be okay."

Cedric took in the younger sorcerer's words before nodding and sighing. "I truly hope you're right, Dante…"

To be continued…

Next Chapter: Day 5: Hydrangeas and Strawberries


	7. Day 5: Hydrangeas and Strawberries

Apart

Summary: When Cedric has to attend a Royal Sorcery Seminar without Sofia and Nana, the girls must find ways to make the week go faster until he gets back home. Meanwhile, Cedric learns more about the Never Realm's uprising... (Plot and cover photo by MarionetteJ2X)

Disclaimer: I own nothing except the Never Realm and a few OCs mentioned here like Sir Finlay and Dante. Nana belongs to MarionetteJ2X. 😊

A/N: I think this chapter is fairly self-explanatory, but let's see what's going on with both sides. :D

* * *

Chapter 7: Day 5: Hydrangeas and Strawberries

* * *

_**Sofia & Nana**_

Day five was a bit easier for both girls, especially since they were nearing the end of Cedric's week-long meeting. Granted, they were finding other things to occupy their time, and since Wormwood was spending his time today with Nina and assisting Mr. Birdsong with some newly-born ravens, he wasn't one of those time-occupiers. They'd visited the village, where Sofia had introduced Nana to both Ruby and Jade for the first time. Her childhood friends were thrilled and amazed at the tiny child's background story, but above all they just thought she was both adorable and super sweet. And now Nana had two new friends.

Upon returning to the castle later that afternoon, Sofia was struck with an idea.

"I think we should get some herbs for Mr. Cedric's inventory," she told her charge as they approached the garden. "It's getting kind of low, and I know there are brews and potions we have to make soon enough when he gets back." She smiled toward the girl, who grinned back at her. "Are you okay with that?"

Nana nodded happily.

"All right then! Let's get started so we can get back inside before it gets too dark."

* * *

They set to work gathering herbs. Well, Sofia did. Nana was given the task of finding some pretty flowers to pick for Miranda, who wasn't feeling too well and could use a little cheering up.

While Sofia was busily gathering the necessary herbs, Nana moved over to a few bushes that were growing against the castle. The first thing that caught her eye were the gradient purple and pink shades of the blossoms before her. She'd never seen such beautiful flowers before. Carefully, she gathered one of the blooms before turning and hurrying back over to Sofia, who had just tossed a handful of lavender into the basket with other herbs. Nana extended the flower toward Sofia, a questioning look on the little one's face.

Sofia smiled fondly as she gently caressed the petals on the flower. "That's a hydrangea," she informed Nana thoughtfully. "When I was younger, Mr. Cedric actually gave me some hydrangeas for Valentine's Day." She laughed. "Do you know what they stand for?"

Nana shook her head.

"Mostly, heartfelt emotions or gratitude. And I recently made a discovery." She pointed toward the hydrangea. "Purple means it's a desire to deeply understand someone. Pink means heartfelt emotion." She laughed softly. "The irony of it doesn't escape me, especially during that time…"

The little girl blinked, confused.

Sofia smiled. "Never mind. I'll explain that to you later, when you're ready to hear _my_ whole story." She patted Nana's head, eliciting a small giggle from her. "You want to get a few more, and we'll take them up to Mama Miranda?"

Nana nodded enthusiastically, hurrying back over to the bush to pluck as many flowers as her tiny hands would allow.

The princess giggled at her charge's actions before glancing off toward the sky, sighing. "It had to be hydrangeas…" She then smiled, shaking her head. "And I'm glad."

* * *

Miranda looked up as she heard a knock on the door. She sneezed once, groaning a bit as she sat up against the pillows. "Come in," she called, still sounding a bit stuffed up. She smiled down at Corban, who was snuggled against her and sleeping, his own nose a bit red, along with his little cheeks.

Sofia walked inside with her basket dangling from one arm and Nana tucked in her other. "Hey, Mom. How are you feeling?" She placed Nana onto the bed, smiling as she instantly hurried over to see to both Corban and Miranda.

They'd been sick since late yesterday, and it was likely just a cold, but it had hit them pretty hard. Miranda could hardly function and had been sent to bed (courtesy of Baileywick _and_ Roland), and not long after, little Corban had gotten it as well. Therefore, they were both 'quarantined' together.

"Hmm, I can breathe out of one side of my nose now," the queen commented in a slightly sarcastic tone. "But my headache is still there. And I think Corban may be running a small fever. We're pushing through it as best as we can, Sofia. I just don't want you and Nana getting sick."

Before Sofia could say anything else, she watched with a small smile as Nana placed her tiny hands on both Corban's and Miranda's foreheads, a bit of healing magic flowing from her. "I don't think that's going to be a problem, Mom…"

After a few moments, Nana lowered her hands and smiled tiredly at the two royals, who both looked (and probably felt) much better.

"Nana, sweetie, you didn't have to do that," Miranda told the little girl before smiling and gathering her into her arms. "But thank you." She placed a kiss to the girl's forehead, causing her to giggle.

"Oh, she brought you something too." Sofia walked over to Miranda's side and withdrew her wand. "Hold out your hands, Nana, like this." She demonstrated a grasping motion, which her charge copied. "Good, Nana!" She tapped her hands once, grinning as a vase full of hydrangeas appeared.

Nana smiled brightly and passed the flowers off to the queen.

"Oh, for me?" Miranda hugged the little one as she set the flowers aside. "Thank you, Nana. They're beautiful."

Corban yawned and sat up, rubbing the sleepy residue from his eyes before gasping as he saw one of his favorite people. "Nana!" He giggled and lunged forward, hugging the smaller girl.

Nana giggled as she returned the prince's hug.

Sofia smiled warmly as she leaned against the edge of the bed, watching (in her opinion) the most innocently beautiful display of happiness she'd seen in a long time. _This _was what they'd needed during this long week. And to think, hydrangeas began it all.

* * *

_**Cedric**_

The meeting today was a great deal longer and more involved than the others this week. Not only had they gotten new information, but they'd also all received copies of the latest Conjuror's Board approved spell books.

Currently, they were divided up into groups of ten so that either a member of the Conjuror's Board or a certified assistant could take them through the books step by step. It just so happened that Ilse the Effervescent was their reviewer. However, despite the respect he had for the woman, Cedric found his mind drifting.

From across the room, he could smell the strawberry tarts that had just been extracted from the oven and were ready for consumption. And some older lady next to him seemed to be wearing perfume that had a strawberry base. Even one of the potions in his new book called for a pound of strawberries!

"I feel like I'm going mad," he muttered to himself, though he instantly regretted it when the others (including Dante, Sir Finlay, Gabriella, and Ilse) all turned to him. He smiled sheepishly. "Erm, I mean… There are a number of useful spells in this book!"

Ilse blinked slowly, her purple-blue eyes peering into the sorcerer's brown ones. "Yes… That _is_ the point of a _spell_ book…" She shook her head before returning to her discussion. "Anyway, as I was saying…"

Cedric sighed before slinking down into his chair, avoiding the curious stares from his friends.

* * *

"What was _that_ all about?" Gabriella asked that evening as they were eating at their own table in the grand dining hall. "You were so zoned out when Ilse was talking to us that I thought you were going to get absorbed into your own book. You just kept staring at the pages like a complete dufus."

Cedric scoffed. "I am _not _a 'dufus,' Mrs. Gabriella. I just…" He sighed. "Everything around me reminded me of strawberries… Which reminded me of Nana…and Sofia." He shrugged as he pushed a few carrots around on his plate. "I suppose I just miss them. And after hearing about everything occurring with the Never Realm, I'm even more concerned for their safety than I ever have been."

"I wonder if it's really going to get that bad," Dante admitted. "I mean, I heard about the _Infitialis _event from the 1300s. They talked about it once in our Namile history classes. How the so-called 'most negative force the realm has ever seen' was going to rise up and destroy us all. But some powerful woman blasted the force into oblivion, and it was all good again. What was her name? Madeleine? Mariana?"

"Magdalena," Sir Finlay corrected with a chuckle. "And it's rather interesting that you mention it, as most history courses do not discuss her or the _Infitialis_ incident anymore. In fact, Magdalena the Mage was a powerful sorceress who lived and practiced magic in Enchancia hundreds of years ago. However, it has been quite some time since anyone has seen or heard from her, despite the fact that the rumor states that she is still alive."

"What's funny is, she could have disguised herself as someone else," Gabriella mentioned with a snicker. "Cedric, have you asked your mom if _she _is Magdalena, by any chance?"

The Enchancian sorcerer sighed and shook his head. "Of course not. Anyway, we should probably finish up before they sound the bell for lamps out."

"Okay, but first…" Gabriella used her wand to take one of the strawberry tarts from the dessert table and transported it to Cedric's empty dessert plate. She grinned at the surprised look on his face. "There. And it's a _strawberry_ tart for your weird sense of nostalgia, so you can stop moping now." She laughed.

Cedric rolled his eyes before smiling appreciatively. "Thanks, Mrs. Gabriella."

To be continued…

Next chapter: Day 6: Robes and Spell Books


	8. Day 6: Robes and Spell Books

Apart

Summary: When Cedric has to attend a Royal Sorcery Seminar without Sofia and Nana, the girls must find ways to make the week go faster until he gets back home. Meanwhile, Cedric learns more about the Never Realm's uprising... (Plot and cover photo by MarionetteJ2X)

Disclaimer: I own nothing except the Never Realm and a few OCs mentioned here like Sir Finlay and Dante. Nana belongs to MarionetteJ2X. 😊

A/N: Cuteness alert! Lol. The artwork for this story, made by MarionetteJ2X, is on the Wix site! 😉 Because what happens in here is just too adorable NOT to have art for! Haha. This is another one of those short-but-sweet chapters. Hope you enjoy!

Note: Reminder! The next chat will be tomorrow, Saturday, April 20, at 6:30. The link will be posted on my bio page if you'd like to join. We always have a great time. 😊

* * *

Chapter 8: Day 6: Robes and Spell Books

* * *

_**Sofia & Nana**_

"Tomorrow is his last day at the meeting, Nana," Sofia sang happily as she slid from her bed and picked up her charge, spinning the little girl in circles and causing Nana to giggle excitedly. "And then he's coming home!"

Nana grinned and clapped her hands before nodding at the princess.

"I think we should celebrate." A mischievous smile appeared on her lips. "And I know the perfect way to do so. How do you feel about a little…magic?"

The little strawberry girl beamed.

* * *

A few minutes later, the girls were in Cedric's workshop, where Sofia had retrieved her old practice wand (which Nana was now holding) and her own current wand. Nana was sitting on the worktable on a small pink blanket while Sofia stood nearby, flipping through one of Cedric's spell books. Wormwood didn't appear to be around, so Sofia assumed he'd probably flown off to the Raven Haven again. It wouldn't be the first time this week, after all.

"Hmm, I know that spell is in here somewhere," she muttered before grinning. "Ah-hah. Here it is." She held her finger on the passage in the book before looking toward Nana. "I'll say the magic words. As I do, close your eyes and imagine someone you really like or admire. When the spell is complete, you'll be dressed like that person. Okay?" Seeing Nana nod, she held up her wand. "_Mutatio Indumentis_." She then closed her own eyes and pointed the wand toward herself, repeating the phrase. When she opened her eyes, she laughed in delight upon seeing her charge. "Aw, Nana!"

Nana was now dressed in a variation of one of Sofia's princess dresses from when she was younger. She had a tiara resting on her head and Sofia's old training wand clutched in her left hand. She grinned excitedly.

"You're so cute," Sofia laughed before glancing at her own outfit and smiling thoughtfully. "I guess it's no secret who _I_ admire…" She was dressed in her own version of Cedric's robe, and even his daily attire beneath the robe completed the ensemble. Her hair was loosely tied back in a braid. She suddenly winced as she reached down and took off the shoes. "Ugh, how does he _wear_ these things?" She then tossed them to the side, sighing happily. "There, that's better."

The little one smiled in recognition as she reached out and tugged at Sofia's hands, which were covered in familiar brown fingerless gloves.

"This spell got _everything_ right," Sofia told her playfully. "Even the bowtie." She reached up and pointed toward the yellow bowtie. "I wonder what he'd say if he saw me in this… Probably something like, '_Well, I suppose imitation __**is**__ the sincerest form of flattery. I was aware you admired me, dear girl, but I think this is going a bit beyond imitation._'" She snickered as she finished her 'Cedric Impression,' which was getting even better over the years.

"I'll say."

"AHH!" Sofia's head snapped up and she smiled sheepishly as she saw Amber standing in the doorway, her arms folded and a smirk on her face as she leaned against the frame. "A-Amber! Heh… …How long have you been there?"

"Long enough to know that you _really _spend a lot of time with Cedric." She rolled her eyes before smiling at her sister. "I came to get you and Nana for breakfast. Since you weren't in your room, there was only one other likely place you could be…" She then gestured toward the other princess's current ensemble. "Though honestly, I'd suggest changing clothes, if I were you. Unless you _want_ a whole bunch of questions aimed your way. Especially from Dad and Baileywick."

Sofia blushed before quickly undoing the spell on herself and Nana, transforming them into their usual daily outfits. She picked up her charge and held her carefully before walking toward her sister, who was smirking at her again. "Uh, Amber? Let's not mention this to anyone, okay? Please?"

Amber grinned before mimicking Cedric's accent as she responded, "_Certainly, my dear_."

The younger princess flushed brighter as Nana giggled. "Stop that!"

* * *

_**Cedric**_

Cedric sat in his room that evening after another long day of meetings, and he'd already spent about an hour flipping through his new spell book and reading the origins and the results of each spell. While most spells were just revisions of older spells, one in particular caught his eye. "Hmm… Sofia and Nana would like this spell, I think. It's something I can surprise them with when I get back." Chuckling, he reached into his bag, rummaging through it for a few moments. "Oh, where is that bookmark?"

He blinked as his fingers brushed something cool and silky. "Hmm?" He then withdrew what appeared to be a long purple ribbon: one that Sofia would usually tie at the end of her braid. "How did this get in there?" He shrugged before draping the ribbon along the center of the opened pages, and he then shut the book.

He was about to put the spell book away and turn in for the night, but he found himself absently playing with the ribbon instead, a small smile on his lips. "One more day, my girls," he murmured softly. "And then I'll be back…" He sighed. "And with far more information than I ever hoped to know or have to share…"

To be continued…

Next chapter: Day 7: Preparing and Repacking


	9. Day 7: Preparing and Repacking

Apart

Summary: When Cedric has to attend a Royal Sorcery Seminar without Sofia and Nana, the girls must find ways to make the week go faster until he gets back home. Meanwhile, Cedric learns more about the Never Realm's uprising... (Plot and cover photo by MarionetteJ2X)

Disclaimer: I own nothing except the Never Realm and a few OCs mentioned here like Sir Finlay and Dante. Nana belongs to MarionetteJ2X. 😊

A/N: Time for some preparation to be reunited (which will be in the NEXT chapter). 😉 Sofia and Nana have a surprise for Cedric, just as he has a surprise for them (and one very special one for Sofia…and Nana, actually, haha). You'll see!

* * *

Chapter 9: Day 7: Preparing and Repacking

* * *

_**Sofia & Nana**_

The day that Cedric was due back, Sofia couldn't contain her excitement. She'd greeted everyone (including the castle staff and animals) happily, was constantly humming or singing something, was dancing around with Nana or her siblings, and was just overall in a fantastic mood.

"You think she's happy to have Cedric coming home?" James joked to Amber, who rolled her eyes as they watched their sister playfully dancing with little Nana in the hallway.

"I'd say she's ecstatic," Amber laughed. "I guess you never realize how much time you really spend with someone until you don't have them around for a while. I mean, Cedric and Sofia are partners and friends—and co-guardians—and so they _have_ to spend a lot of time together. Not that they seem to find it any imposition." She giggled. "I went up to get her a few weeks ago when I knew she was in the tower, and the door was cracked open. I looked inside and saw her, Cedric, Nana, and Wormwood playing checkers."

"I'm sorry." James laughed. "_Wormwood_ was playing checkers?"

"And winning, if you can imagine that. He was playing on Cedric's side, while Nana was helping Sofia. It was the most adorable thing I've seen in a long time." She smiled thoughtfully. "When Cedric was gone, the girls acted like it was the worst thing ever. And I guess, when you consider how much time they spend together and how much they truly rely on each other, maybe it was…" She gazed at her brother, who blinked. "I felt the same way when you first went off for training."

The prince was surprised. "You did?"

"Yeah… I remember when we were younger, _you_ were the one who was concerned about us getting split up and going in different directions. Well, I felt the same way… We've both said it before, but twins have a special bond and don't always do well when split up." She grasped his arm gently, smiling warmly at him. "But I think we've managed pretty well. Better than I thought we would."

James chuckled and retrieved his arm from Amber's grasp before wrapping it around her shoulders. "I think you're right, Amber. I guess we're finally maturing."

"It only took nineteen years." She grinned at him as he scoffed.

"Whatever. Meanwhile, what do we do about that?" He pointed toward their younger sister, who was now running in circles, Nana chasing after her.

Amber laughed. "They're having fun. They're happy. Let them have their time together." She tugged at his jacket. "Come on. I want to show you my plans for the wedding cake."

He grinned. "Is there any cake taste-testing involved?"

"If you're helpful, sure." She snickered as he took off running toward the kitchen. "Typical."

After the twins had left, Sofia slowed her running and laughed as Nana clamped onto her leg, hugging it. "Okay, you win." She smiled and leaned down, picking her up and placing her on her shoulder. "You want to do something really nice for Mr. Cedric?" Seeing her nod happily, she grinned. "Okay, let's head to his workshop and I'll show you what we're going to do."

* * *

A few minutes later, Nana was sitting in her chair that Cedric had made for her, and she had a tablet of paper in her lap and a pen in her hand.

"I'm going to tidy up his workshop," Sofia informed her. "While I'm doing that, you can make him a 'welcome home' picture. Sound good?"

Nana lit up and nodded enthusiastically. She set to work, drawing a few lines on the paper while her guardian picked up her wand.

"Okay," Sofia murmured to herself, looking around at the area with interest. "Let's start with organizing some things, and then it'll be time to get the floor and windows cleaned." She nodded once. "Let's do this."

* * *

_**Cedric**_

"Have you about finished packing, Cedric?" Sir Finlay asked as he chuckled, watching Cedric hurriedly and haphazardly tossing items into his suitcase. He knew very well how excited he was to get back to Enchancia later that day, although they still had one final meeting to attend before departure. Still, it was nice to see him more revitalized.

"You call that 'packing?'" Gabriella laughed.

"Oh, sure, make fun," Cedric scoffed as he snapped his bag shut. He then grabbed his wand from his bedside table and yawned. "I'm sure you three are just as relieved that this is over and are ready to return to your own families."

"Yeah," Dante agreed with a nod. "It'll be good to see Sera and Issy. I miss them a lot."

"Same with Sapphire and Davina," the sorceress added, smiling softly. "This is the longest we've ever been away from them. I wonder how they handled it."

"I'm sure that Arabella kept them entertained," Sir Finlay assured her before shrugging. "Or possibly, it could have been the other way around." He then frowned. "It's disappointing that we will be returning with such serious news for our rulers though… We must always be on our guard from here on out. We cannot show any weakness."

"I think we need to form a network and keep open communication with each other," the youngest sorcerer suggested. "We're stronger in numbers, and that would mean there are more powers available to combat the evil. If there was ever a time that we all needed to come together, it's now. And I think our rulers should have communication too."

"Quite true," Cedric affirmed as they left his room, and he shut the door and locked it before walking with them. "Could we make this suggestion at this final meeting? I'm sure that this would both benefit and protect our kingdoms from this horrid event."

"I'll pass the information along to Malango," Sir Finlay volunteered.

"What about those royal sorcerers or wizards or whatever title they go by who couldn't make it?" Gabriella wondered. "I noticed when they did rollcall that a lot seemed to be missing. That chick from the Kingdom of Ganope, and the wizard from Avalor."

Cedric frowned. It was strange that Mateo hadn't shown up for the meeting… Something must have happened to keep him from coming. With Princess Elena dealing with her own recent battles and magic (long story), it was possible he'd gotten sidetracked and just plain forgotten. It wouldn't surprise him; Mateo was a little absentminded, from what he recalled, though he knew the young wizard meant well.

"We'll just have to hope that they get the message," Dante sighed. "Though I'm sure the Conjuror's Board will take care of it." Noticing that Cedric appeared to be distracted, he smiled and nudged him. "You excited about seeing the girls again?"

The older sorcerer couldn't help smiling at his friend's inquiry. "Absolutely. I never realized I could miss them as much as I have, but…" He chuckled. "I did."

"Who are _you_ kidding?" Gabriella teased. "Mr. Mopes-A-Lot _better _admit that he missed them and that he's just as mushy about his family and friends as the rest of us. _Especially_ Sofia. And your new little charge, of course."

"Of course. I'm just glad we'll be able to travel home today." A thoughtful look appeared on Cedric's face as he sighed. "I've got much to tell them… And even a surprise that I'm quite sure Sofia will really love."

"An early Wassailia gift, hmm?" Sir Finlay smiled.

The Enchancian sorcerer laughed. "That's…one way of looking at it, I suppose…"

They loaded up their respective traveling devices (coaches, carriages, etc.) before making their way to the final meeting… The one that would reveal dire information about the darkest entity from the Never Realm: Malum In Se.

To be continued…

Next Chapter: Reunited


	10. Reunited

Apart

Summary: When Cedric has to attend a Royal Sorcery Seminar without Sofia and Nana, the girls must find ways to make the week go faster until he gets back home. Meanwhile, Cedric learns more about the Never Realm's uprising... (Plot and cover photo by MarionetteJ2X)

Disclaimer: I own nothing except the Never Realm and a few OCs mentioned here like Sir Finlay and Dante. Nana belongs to MarionetteJ2X. 😊

A/N: Time for the reunion and lots and lots of FLUFF! :D In addition, the two surprises will be in here. Both the spell AND the mentioned surprise from the beginning of the story. 😉 Also, Cedric will be divulging a bit of information to Sofia, naturally. (PS-The surprise he gives her is now up on the Media section of my Wix site for this story. ;) Scroll all the way to the bottom to see it. :D)

* * *

Chapter 10: Reunited

* * *

Once the last meeting ended and the group ate lunch, Cedric bid his friends farewell (and indicated that he anticipated seeing them all fairly soon) before getting into the AutoCoach and setting his coordinates for Enchancia. As he rode back home, his mind was on several topics at once: the Never Realm, the evil being Malum In Se, seeing everyone (especially Sofia and Nana) again, giving Sofia her gift, getting back to a normal schedule… So many things crossed his mind that he could hardly keep up. Since he couldn't control his thoughts, he decided instead to try to block everything out for a while. He settled down and took a much-needed nap as the AutoCoach moved along.

* * *

It was early afternoon when Cedric finally arrived in Enchancia. To his delight, the royal family had come out to greet him as he approached the castle. However, he'd barely taken two steps away from the AutoCoach before being tackled to the ground by a speeding purple and red blur.

Cedric laughed and smiled as he found both Sofia and Nana hugging him from either side, both of them happily kissing his cheeks. "Well, _this_ is an unexpected welcome," he joked as Sofia released him, yet Nana continued clinging to him. He gently cupped Sofia's cheek, causing her to smile shyly. "Though I can't say I could think of a better one."

She giggled as she rested her hand over his. "We're so glad you're back… You have no idea how much we both missed you."

"Oh, I have a pretty good indication." He laughed as she helped him to his feet again, and then he smiled toward the royal family, who seemed amused by the scene they'd just witnessed. "Good afternoon, Your Majesties," he acknowledged, bowing briefly before gathering Nana more securely into his arms.

"How was your trip, Cedric?" Miranda asked as she gently bounced a fussy Corban, who had yet to take a nap (and was starting to prove it).

"Informative… If you don't mind, I have a great deal to share with you all, so could we schedule some time to speak tomorrow?"

"I don't see why not," Roland answered. "I'll have Baileywick clear my schedule, and we can talk. I assume it's about the Never Realm."

Cedric nodded. "Yes, King Roland. And there are quite a number of serious matters we need to discuss in order to prepare ourselves…"

"Then yes, we'll definitely talk tomorrow. Everything else can wait for now."

"Thank you, sire." He smiled as Nana gently tugged on his sleeve, getting his attention. "What is it, little one?"

She pointed in the direction of his tower before pouting.

"We're heading that way now." He nodded toward the royal family once again. "I will see you tomorrow, Your Majesties. It's been a rather long week, so I think I'm going to unpack and take a look at my agenda to see what I need to do to get caught up on work."

"You're going to relax the rest of the day, Cedric," Amber countered, smiling as he gaped at her. "Amber's orders."

Roland smiled. "You heard the future queen, Cedric. Take the rest of the day off. Besides, what Cordelia couldn't finish working on, Sofia did, so your duties were in good hands."

The sorcerer laughed in surprise. "Um… Well, thank you. I will." He bowed once more before turning and walking in the direction of his tower, noticing instantly that a certain princess was walking right by his side. "How did things go?"

Sofia blushed as she instantly recalled yesterday, when she and Nana had dressed up as their favorite people and had been caught by a smug-looking Amber. "Um… It was okay." She smiled as she shook her head. "We missed you a lot though…"

As they entered the tower and stood before the stairs, Cedric paused and hugged his partner, chuckling as she sighed and instantly returned the affection. "Not as much as I missed you."

"That's debatable," she responded, laughing as she noticed Nana hugging Cedric's head. She released him from the hug before grabbing his hand and hurriedly tugging him up the stairs. "Come on. Nana and I have a surprise for you!"

"Oh!" He laughed as he followed her. "Well, I got the rest of the day off. Everyone's been extremely kind. And my 'welcome home' was a ground tackling and a lot of affection." He smiled as Sofia laughed sheepishly. "What else could you possibly have in store, Sofia?"

"You'll see!"

* * *

Once they reached the top of the tower and opened the door to the workshop, Cedric stepped in and was instantly stunned. His workshop was so impeccably _clean_ that he could see a shimmering sheen on the surface of the walls and even the cobblestone floor. His books were arranged as he preferred them (categorically _and_ alphabetically). His inventory, upon closer inspection, was completely full to the brim with a new labeling system for easier access. There was a box full of snacks and goodies on his desk with a purple and gold bow attached to it, a vase filled with hydrangeas from the garden, and a cute little drawing in a frame consisting of the three of them hugging each other (courtesy of Nana, of course). "You did all of this…for me?"

Nana squealed in delight as he settled her in his arms and kissed her forehead in gratitude.

Sofia smiled endearingly at the display of gratitude. "Why wouldn't we? You deserve it." She gasped in mild surprise as he hugged her next. "Mr. Cedric…"

He smiled as he rested his forehead against hers. "Have I ever told you that you're the best thing that's ever happened to me?"

She giggled. "You've mentioned it once or twice."

Cedric chuckled. "Oh, I have a spell to show you both. Something I'm quite sure you'll enjoy." Nana crawled up to his shoulder again as he slid his bag from his arm onto the worktable before withdrawing his new spell book. He then retrieved his wand from his robe, gently tapping an empty space next to his desk. "_Summa Ligno_."

Sofia and Nana watched in awe as a small tree grew from an intricately-decorated pot, standing just a bit taller than Cedric. Unlike most trees, this one had an almost glittering trunk and branches, and while it did have fairly typical leaves, the leaves themselves were multi-colored.

"This is called the Total Tree," Cedric explained to them. "It's a rather fascinating tree, and it can only be accessed via a magical spell: the one I just cited, actually. This tree will grow just about anything you imagine if you place one hand on its bark and silently wish for it. Of course, the only catch is that it must be small enough to fit on the tree branches." He heard their gasps and chuckled. "Would you like to try?"

Nana nodded excitedly as she extended her hands, waving them toward the tree. As Cedric walked forward and allowed her to touch the bark, she closed her eyes and imagined what she would like to have. When she opened her eyes a moment later, she grinned excitedly, plucking the fly cake from the branch and happily munching on it.

Sofia smiled. "She _would_ imagine that." She tapped her chin. "Now what do _I_ want…?" She gently caressed the bark before closing her eyes. She heard the typical magical tingles that she usually could expect to hear from many spells and opened her eyes, laughing. She plucked the stuffed bunny from the branches. "This looks like Clover…"

"Whatever happened to your rabbit friend anyway?" Cedric wondered. "I haven't seen him in a long time."

"He went to stay with Vivian and Crackle, actually. Since we were gone so much on so many adventures or traveling to meetings, I didn't really get to see him that often, and it wasn't fair leaving him alone for so long. Plus, he's getting older and can't get around as much as he used to—though he's still pretty active, from what Vivian has told me." She sighed. "It was for the best though, I think, because Crackle absolutely adores him, and they always get along great. Plus, I still get to see him every now and then when I visit Vivian." She giggled. "Same old Clover." She extended the stuffed animal to Nana, who happily accepted it and hugged it. "I hope Nana gets to meet him someday. They'd be great friends."

Cedric nodded, chuckling as his charge stared curiously at the bunny. "Indeed."

* * *

Later that evening, Sofia tucked Nana into bed, watching as the little girl snuggled with her new stuffed bunny. She kissed her cheek. "Would you like me to sing your lullaby?"

Nana nodded sleepily, her eyelids already growing heavy. She listened as her guardian's gentle voice caressed her ears. It wasn't long before she fully succumbed to her tiredness, Sofia's song quietly lulling her to sleep and sending her into a world of pleasant dreams.

The princess smiled fondly at her charge before blinking as she heard a knock on her door. She walked over and opened it, smiling as she saw Cedric. "She's asleep," Sofia told her partner as she slipped out the door to her room, shutting it behind her and leaning against it, sighing. "She was too excited earlier since you've come back, that I almost never got her to settle down so that she could get some rest." She laughed.

"Really now?" he asked, smiling warmly. "That's rather sweet. Oh, could we step inside your room for just a moment?" Seeing her confused expression, he shrugged. "Unless you'd rather wait even longer for that surprise I told you about."

"Oh, no!" She giggled before opening the door to her room again, tugging him inside and shutting it behind them. "Just a sec." She moved over to the lamp on her bedside table and lit it, looking around as her side of the room grew more illuminated. "That's better."

"Light in the darkness," Cedric mused as he sat on the edge of her bed, smiling gently at his partner as she sat next to him. "Rather fitting, I should think. You always _were_ the light in the darkness…"

Sofia smiled softly at his words before turning more to face him. "So… What is this surprise that you have for me?"

"You know how they say that history sometimes repeats itself?" Seeing her nod, he carefully picked up her left hand. "Sometimes, that's not necessarily a bad thing… Close your eyes."

She blinked a few times before complying, a bit of nervous anticipation rushing through her. Exactly what had he planned for her?

Cedric withdrew his wand from his robe and gently tapped Sofia's middle finger, watching as the magic began wrapping around her finger in a mix of magenta, green, and gold before finally settling down. He nodded in satisfaction before whispering to her, "You can open them now."

Sofia opened her eyes and gasped as she noticed what he'd given her. Wrapped around her left middle finger was a new ring. The band was divided into two colors: the top was magenta, and the bottom was gold. In the center was a magenta strawberry with amber stones scattered throughout (like one would expect to see as seeds on a real strawberry). On the top was the green stem with its leaves. She gaped at her friend in awe. "Mr. Cedric…"

"I call this the BerryBand," he explained. "It will connect you to Nana, no matter where you are or where she is." He shook his head momentarily. "Call it a safety or preventative measure, but… Considering everything we've gone through, I feel it's almost necessary." He released her hand and turned his own left hand over, nodding toward his own BerryBand.

The princess blinked when she saw it. Unlike hers, the band was brown to fade seamlessly into his fingerless gloves (which was probably why she didn't notice it in the first place), but the top of the band did indeed contain a very similar strawberry made from the same materials as hers. She grinned up at him. "I noticed that your strawberry is a lot smaller than mine."

"Yes, well, when you work with your hands as much as I do, it's rather important to limit restrictions." He chuckled. "Now, then. We need only to tie up one more loose end to make this BerryBand efficient." He reached over to the sleeping girl and took her own left hand, gently tapping her middle finger and watching as the magic created a tiny version of Sofia's ring. "There we are. Now, we're all connected."

"Even more so than we already were," Sofia teased, giggling. She leaned forward and hugged him, smiling as he wrapped his arms around her in response. "Thank you, Mr. Cedric." She grinned up at him. "That surprise was worth the wait." She moved to sit beside him, hovering her left hand next to his, observing their BerryBands. "And it's such a good idea too." She smiled toward him.

Cedric returned her smile, nodding. "I'm glad you think so." His smile faded into a concerned frown. "Because after what I learned at the Royal Sorcerer Seminar, I'm not about to take any chances. I won't have anything happen to you or to Nana."

She nodded patiently. "I know. Look, we can talk more about this later. I need to get to sleep, and I definitely know _you_ need rest."

"You could say that again." He stood and walked over to the other side of the bed, smiling down at the sleeping child before brushing his fingers through her hair and leaning down, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "Goodnight, Nana."

Sofia smiled warmly at her partner's actions before blinking as he walked back to her and repeated the same actions. She laughed. "Mr. Cedric…"

"Sleep well, my dear."

She nodded before sitting up on her knees, grasping his arms, and leaning forward to kiss _his_ forehead this time. "We missed you when you were gone, and we're very glad to have you back…"

He chuckled as she hugged him once more. "I'm glad to be home too, Sofia. Get some rest."

The princess smiled as she released him before moving under her covers. "You too, Mr. Cedric. See you tomorrow." She closed her eyes and sank into the covers, sighing happily.

Cedric smiled at the princess before dousing her lamp and walking to her door. He paused and turned momentarily, sighing as he saw the moonlight illuminate the two sleeping girls. "I won't let anything happen to either of you," he whispered to himself. "I promise." With that, he turned and left, closing the door quietly behind him.

The end (and to be continued in "Malum In Se")

* * *

(Fun fact: Wearing a ring on your middle finger symbolizes responsibility and balance. In some cultures, it can also symbolize a type of promise. I actually wear one on each of mine daily. 😊)


End file.
